White Lilies
by Black Eyes White Magician
Summary: Rei is at a point in his life where he has to make important decisions. In the meantime, Kai's life will get upside down when two people, long forgotten, will show up again. Unfortunately, Rei will get sucked into the mess too. Set years later after G Revolution
1. Prologue

_Hi everyone! I have thought about this long fic for a while and I finally managed to write it. It takes place a few years after g Rev._

 _This is just a short prologue (very confusing I know sorry) but next chapters will be longer (and I hope a bit clearer with more answers, same for the title)_

 _This plot will really start the next chapter._ _Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy and share your thoughts :)_

 _ps: I will use the original names since I grow up with those_

 _ps2: English is not my first language_

* * *

It was a warm summer night and the old BBA team, minus Kai, was gathered at the Kinomiya's dojo. The young master of the house had decided to organize a grill night, taking advantage of his grandfather's absence.

Rei smiled when he heard Takao make one of his funny imitations. _If things go wrong with BBA again he could still consider becoming a comedian,_ he thought with amusement.

Even Hiromi couldn't help but laugh. They both were taking care of the dirty dishes while the rest was outside in the garden after they had ended to eat.

"Do granny now! Do granny!" Daichi said with enthusiasm. His voice sounded loud, even in the kitchen.

"How did you call me, you midget?!" Takao shouted with a high-pitched voice, trying to sound like a familiar female voice.

It took only a second for Hiromi's expression to change from amused to bloodthirsty.

"Its fine if I go a moment outside, Rei?" she asked sweetly.

Rei felt a chill run down his spine and nodded. It wasn't a good idea to get in the path of Hiromi's fury.

"We had almost finished here anyway."

Hiromi smiled innocently but her eyes were burning with anger. "I'll be back soon."

He gulped and took a step backward when the fierce girl moved past him to go outside and probably go beat the two boys. Takao and Daichi had it coming this time.

Rei smiled fondly as he heard the commotion in the garden and got back to his task. _After all. . . I will miss this_ , he thought and his mood dropped quickly as he remembered the letter that had arrived earlier today.

Lai's words had been clear and Rei couldn't stall here forever.

After the BEGA battle, he had decided to stay and help to rebuild the BBA. Back then Rei had programmed to stay only for a few months. A few years had passed since then. . .

Rei sighed heavily.

"Is something the matter?"

The deep voice took Rei off guard and he would have almost made the glass in hands fall on the floor if it weren't for his fast reflexes.

"Kai!" Rei greeted him, turning his head. "Sorry, I didn't notice you. . ."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "I noticed," he replied, deadpan. He loosened the blue tie around his white shirt as he went to the fridge.

He looked tired but at the same time satisfied with whatever he had accomplished today.

Last year Kai had finally decided to take back the business of his grandfather after he had ignored it for years and turned Hiwatari Enterprises, an arms industry, into a Beyblade company.

It was strange to see Kai dressed in a suit, not like it didn't flatter his elegant figure. Rei doubted there was something that didn't suit Kai. He would probably look perfect even wearing a potato sack.

"You okay?"

"Mh?"

"You have been holding the same glass for a while."

"Oh," Rei smiled, embarrassed. He put the glass away or at least he tried to, before Kai took the glass from his grip, their fingers touching briefly.

"Wait, let me dry it-"

Kai waved his hand in a dismissing matter and took the patch that Hiromi had left.

"You are not the Kinomiya's housekeepers," Kai said, leaning against the counter.

"It's not like I did everything myself, Max and Hiromi went shopping this afternoon and Takao took care of the barbecue."

The World Champion had discovered a new passion after Max had gifted him a typical American grill.

"The statement stays. Kinomiya should take care of his house."

Spoke the one who lived in a mansion with probably one servant pro room.

Rei had to raise his head to look Kai in the eyes. When had his teammate become so much taller than him? Damn genetics. And to think that he would be considered one of the tallest people back at his village. The White Tiger clan had always been on the short side, Gao's family being the only exception.

"You are chattier than usual tonight."

"And the brooding never suited you."

That was just the pot calling the kettle black. . . Rei had to take use all his energies to not snap back. After all, Kai was just worrying about his old teammate. And, even though a bit awkward, it was strangely warming to have someone worry about you. . . especially if it was Kai.

"It's fine, really," Rei insisted.

Kai stared at him quietly, then looked away and drank his water like it was one of the finest wines of the world.

A comfortable silence fell between them as Rei finished his chore and Kai just stayed there and kept him company.

When Rei turned, Kai was staring back at him. He had his typical cryptic look that was still difficult to comprehend after all these years. Suddenly the silence started to get overwhelming even for Rei who wasn't usually intimated by Kai's surrounding aura. He had to control himself to not flinch under Kai's deep red eyes.

"I thought you wouldn't come tonight," Rei said, playful. He didn't want Kai to think he didn't want him here.

Kai smirked, lips curled up attractively. "What's the point of being the Boss of my own company if I can't do what I want with my own time."

Rei chuckled lightly, "I guess."

Kai's smirk turned into a gentler smile, a rare one, something that no many people could see. Rei always felt very lucky to be one of the few that Kai let look past his tall walls.

Rei liked to think he had a stronger control on his emotions after all these years, but his stupid heart decided to make itself heard as it beat faster inside his chest. How funny was that Kai had, unconsciously, more power on Rei's heart than Rei himself, making him feel still like the same young teenager he had met a long time ago. And after all those years, Rei couldn't help but ask himself the same question again and again.

 _Why did I have to fall in love with Hiwatari Kai?_


	2. Surprises

_White._

 _An endless field of white lilies._

 _The sun is warm against his skin and the sound of bells can be heard in the distance._

 _A woman is sitting on the ground with a sketchbook on her lap. Her eyes are staring intently at the paper as her graceful hand moves with precise movements._

 _She is wearing a white dress. The only thing contrasting with the field is her long black hair who was gently stroked by the wind._

 _Rei calls the woman but she just ignores him._

 _Suddenly the air becomes colder and Rei feels the chill get through his thin shirt._

 _The sun is gone, and the flowers start to get carried away by the wind. The bells are getting louder and louder, but t_ _he woman continues to sketch, not worried about the change of weather or the sound of the bells getting unbearable. Rei puts his hands over his ears, trying to shut out the loud sound._

 _His head is hurting._

 _He tries to get closer to her but the earth under his feet is wet and he falls with his face on the ground._

 _There are no more flowers around, just mud and rain._

 _Amber eyes finally stare at him but full of sadness._

 _The woman says something, but Rei can't hear her._

 _He can't move. He can't breathe. Air! He needs air!_

Rei woke up with a jolt and put a hand over his chest. He sighed relieved when he realized he was in his bed.

 _It has been a while since I dreamed of her_ , he thought tiredly. A yawn escaped from his lips and he rubbed his eyes.

It was early, the sun hadn't still reached his window. He could sleep a little longer, but the sound of the bells still echoed in his mind.

He stood up and went to the kitchen to make breakfast. Lai's letter was still left abandoned on the table. Rei picked it up and read it again, skipping the pleasantries at the beginning. At this point, he had memorized each word of the letter.

Same words as yesterday and the day before yesterday. What did he expect? That they would change during the night? The elders wanted him back to the village. Lai's grandfather, the current clan leader, had decided to retire, and now Rei had to take his place as the chosen one of the White Tiger Bit-beast.

Take his responsibilities. . . Going back to the village. . . Leaving this place and his friends.

 _Leaving him._

So many things to do, so little things Rei wanted to do, but it was time to put his feelings aside. He couldn't stay just to help the BBA and for some part-time jobs. He had followed his dreams when he had left the village. He had explored the world and met powerful Beybladers during his journey that had made him a stronger person.

It was time to get back now. . .

After breakfast, Rei decided to make a bit of work out before going to the BBA.

Today he had a meeting with President Daitenji. He hadn't told Rei what he wanted to talk about, probably it was something about the opening of the new Beyblade stadium. The meeting was a good opportunity to tell Daitenji about his departure. And he had to tell the others too, he couldn't just disappear.

Rei felt his heart clench at the thought as he made his pushups. He shook his head and concentrated on his training. Dwelling on it wouldn't help.

Once he finished, he quickly took a shower, got himself ready and left the apartment.

After the new beginning in a shack, the BBA was back, stronger than before, but this time there were no other people who could make decisions outside of the chairman. The association had different business partners but there was no board they had to answer to.

Rei entered the building, greeted the secretary and went to the top floor where President Daitenji's headquarters were located.

"Rei, good to see you, my boy," the man greeted him warmly when Rei entered the office.

Daitenji had been absent for a few days and Rei had taken care of some of his work. Now that Rei thought about it the President had given him more paperwork and other stuff to do that didn't really belong to him. Not that Rei minded, he just wondered what the old man was thinking.

"I hope you had a good travel," Rei said politely, taking place in front of the desk.

"Indeed, I did," Daitenji answered. He told Rei about his business trip in New York and Rei told him about the progress with the opening of the new Beyblade stadium.

"That's good, but Rei, I actually didn't want to just talk about this."

Rei frowned slightly.

"You see I've becoming older and I've been thinking about the future of this organization."

"I think you are in a great shape," Rei reassured.

Daitenji laughed. "Rei, there is a reason why I lately gave you more desk work and responsibilities. . . I want you to be my successor."

Rei gasped, staring at the president with wide-eyes. "I- What?" he said, his brain slow to catch up with the sudden revelation.

"I've been thinking about this a lot," Daitenji started. "I've been with the BBA since the beginning. I saw it grow, fall and rise again. I saw who supported it and who wanted to destroy it. The BBA is not just my legacy but my family. Isn't it the same for you?"

"I guess..." Rei's gaze fell on his lap. He took a moment to collect himself, he didn't know what to say. His mind was overloaded with different thoughts, each of them fighting with each other.

True, the BBA had become something precious to him. Especially the ex Beyblade team. Daitenji himself had become something like a mentor when Rei had started to explore the world with just a bit of money, one bag, and his Beyblade.

But caring for something and taking care of something were two different things.

He didn't even know anything about business or how to run a company. He was just a village boy with barely an acceptable school curriculum. Rei was an adaptable person, but he wasn't qualified for something so big. He felt flattered by Daitenji's choice, but there were people more suited than him out there.

"But why me?" Rei asked. "I don't think I'm suitable for such an important position."

"Rei, you are one of the few people I trust the most," Daitenji said, smiling. "You love this sport, you know what Beyblade means for a lot of people and the true spirit of the BBA."

"Loving something isn't enough," Rei mused. "Especially in this case. After all, Takao, Max and a lot of other people would meet those requirements too."

"Yes," Daitenji conceded. "But you are the one who has always been by my side since the rebuilding. You know how things work here. Of course, you will need a firmer education. That's why the BBA will give you a scholarship for a University."

"I. . ." Rei was shocked by Daitenji's offer.

"But I don't want to pressure you, Rei," Daitenji said gently. "I would understand if you are not interested. I'm aware I'm giving you a big burden and I also know about your responsibilities to your village."

"You know?" Rei wondered. "But then why. . ."

"I'm a bit of a selfish man," Daitenji confessed lightly. "I can't just ignore a good chance, your hard work hasn't been unnoticed. Even our partners support my decision, and from what I gather you aren't entirely uninterested."

Rei bit his lip, not having a reply for him yet. "By partners, you mean PPB?" The PPB had helped a lot to get BBA back on his feet. "This is why you went to New York?"

"Not only," Daitenji said, not giving him a real answer. "Think about it, Rei. You don't have to give me an answer now."

Rei nodded numbly and stood up. "Thank you, President Daitenji," he said, bending his head.

"Oh and Rei?" Daitenji called him before he got out of the room.

"Yes?"

"You can have a day off today."

Usually, Rei didn't like to have free days during the week, everyone was usually busy with school, or work in Kai's case. But today he was grateful for it, he doubted he could concentrate on something else. Thankfully he didn't even have to go to the restaurant where he worked part-time.

So he wandered through the streets, lost in his thoughts, unaware where his feet were taking him.

He couldn't still believe it. He, the next chairman of the BBA? It was just too absurd to be even a joke. A part of him felt thrilled by the idea. It was an honorable position and ambitions wasn't something he lacked. He liked his job at the BBA and the opportunity to advance his school education sounded also tempting.

Now that he was older he knew he couldn't just live with beyblading. This was a good opportunity, a new goal to reach. Help younger Beybladers like Daitenji had done with him a long time ago. And... _hold your horses Rei!_

The clan was waiting for him and he didn't want to leave forever the village, right?

 _Are you sure about it?_ A little voice whispered in his mind. A little nasty voice that reminded him of the hard truth that he had always tried to ignore.

 _T_ _hat he didn't want to go back._

He had built himself a new life here in Japan and had a new family. Mao, Lai, and the others were good friends, but they weren't enough to keep him in the mountains. Here, he didn't have the unconscious feeling of wanting to escape that he always had back at the village.

Rei took out his bey and stared at the White Tiger. The Bit-beast glittered under the sunlight.

The White Tiger had always taught him to fight with all his strength, to be true to himself and to never give up. The Bit-beast had always supported Rei and never judged him. But the White Tiger was also the symbol of his clan. It marked Rei as the next leader.

 _What do you think should I do?_ he asked, feeling torn apart.

The White Tiger stayed silent and Rei chuckled. Of course, he had to find the answer in himself, he couldn't always rely on the Sacred Beast.

He put the bey away and opted to go home but he got distracted when his gaze fell on a flower shop's display, where different flowers were exposed.

A bunch of white lilies stood out above all the colorful flowers. It took his mind back to childhood memories of easier times where he didn't have to make decisions. Of sweet words that told him that there was always a happy ever after.

"Are you going to buy them? A gift for your girlfriend?" A heavy accented Russian voice asked him mockingly.

Rei sighed and turned around. "Boris. . . Are you working here?" he asked back playful. "Did Kai finally fire you?"

"Ah ah funny," Boris sneered. He showed Rei an envelope of baozi, the ones from Rei's favorite shop. "I went to buy something for brunch, was back on my way and found you staring at the flowers like a weirdo for several minutes."

Rei felt his cheeks warm up for the embarrassment. "I wasn't-"

"I don't care," Boris cut him off, walking past him. "Are you going to come?"

"Come where?" Rei wondered.

Boris looked over his shoulder and gave him an unimpressed look. "To see Kai? I thought you were directed there."

Rei blinked and stared down the street. The Hiwatari Enterprise's glass building stood out, being one of the tallest skyscrapers of the city. Even when he wasn't seeking for him his feet brought him there. Should he go? Kai was probably busy with work. . . but if Boris went to go buy food he was probably taking a break.

"Well? I'm becoming old here, Rapunzel," Boris complained.

Rei rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry, let's go. I don't want your hair to become paler," he deadpanned.

Boris sent him a glare and walked away. For a moment Rei was bemused for the lack of a reply but then he grinned. It seemed like someone was sensible about their hair.

He and Boris weren't exactly acquaintances, only recently Rei had started to get to know him better after he and Yuriy had moved to Japan and started to work for Kai. Boris's rude comments barely afflicted Rei since he knew they were pretty harmless, especially the one directed to him. After all his tough behavior just hid a scarred heart.

They reached Hiwatari Enterprises in silence. Since Boris was the one responsible for the security they could take the elevator that took them directly to Kai's floor without waiting for permissions.

Rei tensed when angry yells were what welcomed them when they reached the floor. Boris stood stubbornly before him, not letting Rei go past by him.

"What is happening?" Rei asked, worried.

"I don't know," Boris whispered. "Maybe an attack."

"Attack?!"

Boris turned around and gave him the bag of food. "Just get out of here," he said, leaving Rei in the elevator.

Rei stared at the empty place left by Boris and shook his head. "Like hell," he murmured. He couldn't stay here if Kai was in danger.

He stepped out of the elevator, turned the corner that brought him at Kai's office and stopped on his tracks. Kai was there and he was shouting at a couple.

"And now get out of my sight!"

"Kai, please," the woman said, raising an arm but the man hold her back. The man had a fresh bruise on his cheek and the woman was at the edge of tears.

The couple probably was in their early forties. The man was tall, had dark blue hair and a slight stubble. He was dressed in simple clothes. He didn't look like a businessman. The woman, on the other hand, had brown coiffed hair and wear an elegant tailleur. They looked familiar. . .

"Out! I said out!" Kai shouted, raising an arm. Yuriy was there as well and he was holding Kai back from jumping on the man.

Rei realized with horror that Kai was probably responsible for the man's bruised face. It wasn't difficult to get on Kai's blacklist, but these people must have done something really bad to make Kai lose his composure in this way outside of a Beyblade battle, and especially, here at his workplace.

"Boris, finally!" Yuriy said when his icy gaze landed on them. "Bring this two out of here!"

Boris nodded but the man raised a hand.

"We know where the exit is, let's go, dear," the man said, grabbing the woman gently by her arm and leading her away.

"Make sure they really go," Yuriy told Boris who sighed and went after the couple.

Rei met the man's gaze as the couple passed by him and he could see a sense of recognition in the man's familiar red eyes. But how-

"Rei. . ."

Being called, Rei looked away and turned to Kai. He looked less furious but he was still visibly tense. He had gotten himself free from Yuriy's hold and was staring at Rei with watchful eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Rei felt like a child caught with a hand in the cookies jar and raised the bag that Boris had given to him. "I have food?"

Kai's angry expression turned into his typical no-time-for-nonsense face.

Yeah, what was Rei thinking? He wasn't talking with Takao. "Sorry, I assume I arrived in a wrong moment," Rei said, amending himself. "I will go-"

"No," Kai interrupted him. "Follow me," he said, turning around and walking to his office.

Rei stared at Kai's figure, his eyes lingering a bit too long at the lower side of his back.

"Well, what are you waiting?" Yuriy said, giving Rei an annoyed look.

Rei had completely forgotten about him. He put himself together and followed Kai in the office.

* * *

So, I hope you are not disappointed by this "surprises". . . see you to the next chapter :)


	3. Confessions

Hello everybody, I wanted to update earlier since I got a lot of feedback (it made me really happy thank you 3 ) but this week has been very busy and I finished this chapter like five minutes ago so sorry if it will have more errors than usual. I wanted to update now because I won't be able to do it tomorrow and I didn't want to make you wait longer.

Hope you enjoy!

warning: some cheesiness and mood swings worth of a roller coaster?

* * *

Rei had been only once in Kai's office. It still bewildered him how big it was, almost as his own apartment. The room had big windows who overlooked the shopping street, the people looked like tiny ants from up there.

A few minutes had passed since Rei had entered the office and neither he or Kai had said a word. The bag of food had been left untouched on the table.

Kai was sitting on his leather chair, checking some paperwork. His tailored jacket had been put on the table. The tie around his neck had been loosened and the first two buttons of his shirt undone.

Rei couldn't help but observe Kai's profile, even though he knew it by heart, and compare his features with those of the couple. While his colors matched with those of the man his facial structure was similar to those of the woman. Sharp and elegant.

"Kai?" Rei called him gently.

Kai made a small nod, a sign that told Rei he had all his attention.

"Those two people are-" Rei cut himself off, biting his lip. Should he really ask? It wasn't really his business or his right to know. He should know better than ask a question that Kai probably didn't want to answer.

Damn his curiosity!

"You want to know who they are?" Kai asked, his voice dispassionate.

"You don't have to tell me," Rei said quickly.

"I know," Kai replied, raising his head. He seemed to weigh his next words. "They are my. . . biological parents."

Parents. Biological parents. It could mean a lot of things, but it could also mean nothing. Nothing that Kai cared about anymore. Yeah, Rei would have thought so if he hadn't seen Kai lose his calm. They still meant something to Kai, whether it was in a good or bad way. Probably the latter.

"They left me with my grandfather a long time ago, my. . . father wasn't interested in the company but grandfather still wanted an heir to his empire. So in exchange for money they left me with him," Kai said, his jaw set tight. "They are no longer part of my life."

Rei felt rage raise from deep within him. The only thing he had ever known about Kai's past was that he had grown with his grandfather and been in Volkov's Abbey for a while. Hiwatari Soichiro was a horrible man, but his son and daughter in law must be even worse to have left Kai with such a man just for money.

"Why are they back?" Rei couldn't help but ask.

"They probably think that I will cut off their funds now that I'm the head of Hiwatari Enterprises."

Rei frowned. Kai had taken over the company one year ago, but he had inherited all his grandfather's possession at the age of sixteen. Why were they showing up only now? From the way Kai had said it, he still hadn't cut off their funds. This made raise even more questions about Kai's connection with his parents.

"Forget about them now," Kai said sharply. "They don't matter."

"But-"

"It doesn't concern you."

"Then why did you tell me?"

"You had already figured it out anyway and then. . ." Kai trailed off before continuing. "I trust you."

Rei's heart fluttered. _Kai trusts me... Kai said he trusts me._ Rei didn't almost believe to his ears. He knew the chance that his feelings were reciprocated was zero, and he had accepted it, but those words felt like a surprise gift.

He smiled, surely like an idiot, and Kai was probably being polite enough to not point it out as he looked back his paper. Was Rei imagining it or were his cheeks slightly pinkish?

"So, did Daitenji finally ask you?" Kai asked out of the blue.

Rei tilted his head, confused. "Daitenji?"

"About the position," Kai clarified. He leaned his elbow on the table and put his hand under his chin. "Didn't he come back from New York this morning?"

Oh. . . Kai knew. But how did he know _that_ and _why_?

"You know about the deal between Hiwatari Enterprises and BBA?" Kai asked.

Rei nodded. Hiwatari Enterprises will become BBA's sponsor for the next years.

"I asked Daitenji a question," Kai continued. "Who the next BBA chairman would be if he kicks the bucket."

"That's rude, Kai!" Rei scolded him, but Kai just smirked.

"It's business, anyway he told me he had in mind someone I would probably. . . approve." Kai shot him a look. "He wasn't wrong."

"Kai. . ." Rei lowered his gaze, suddenly feeling bashful. "I don't think I can accept Daitenji's offer."

"Why not?" Kai demanded.

Rei shrugged. "It's complicated," he said and shook his head. He should tell Kai the truth, especially after Kai had told about his parents.

"The elders want me back to the village," Rei revealed, raising his head. "To become the next clan leader."

Kai stiffened, his brow creased. "And do you want to go back to your village?"

Good question, Kai, worth a million dollars. . . Rei should stop to watch American quiz shows with Max.

"I..." Rei felt a knot on his throat. "I don't really have a choice."

Kai tsked. "There is always a choice," he spat. "Whether you make it or not."

He knew it, but it wasn't easy. He was torn between the desire of his heart and his duties. He envied Kai, he always knew what he wanted. Rei cursed himself, why did he always end drowning in his own misery?

There was a knock at the door and someone entered.

"Kai, you have a meeting in a few minutes in the conference room," Yuriy remembered him.

Kai nodded. "I'll come soon."

Rei heard Yuriy mutter something in Russian and close the door behind himself. Maybe he was considering his life choices like Rei was doing.

Kai stood up, he buttoned up his shirt and fixed his tie. He turned around, not sparing Rei another look. And _ouch_ , not having your feeling reciprocated hurt but what hurt more was Kai's judgment.

Rei lowered his head. He made to stand up but a strong hand was placed on his shoulder and made him halt. A body leaned closer to him and spiky hair tickled against his skin. Rei felt his heart pound harder, his skin heat up. Kai's breath was warm against his ear.

"You overthink too much, Kon Rei," Kai whispered, leaning closer. "But I'm sure you will find _your_ answer, you always do because. . . you are brave enough to never betray yourself."

Rei couldn't move or speak. His legs were like jelly and his mouth dry. Kai moved his arm over Rei's shoulder, took the bag of Chinese buns from the table and finally moved away.

It took Rei a moment to compose himself as he absolutely refused to turn around and let Kai see his face resembling a tomato.

Inner peace, Rei remembered himself. Kai was just trying to give him some kind of pep talk in his usual weird way, nothing more. He couldn't heat up like a furnace every time Kai touched him and came closer.

 _Just find your inner peace_. . . Ok. . . Inner peace didn't work, maybe he was still a bit too young for that.

"You plan to stay there?" Kai asked him with a slightly teasing tone.

Rei got off his chair and looked at Kai with what he hoped was a neutral face. Kai eyed him with amusement and opened the door for him. They left the office and took the lift together. The elevator stopped for Kai at the tenth floor.

"Have a good day," Rei wished him, trying to not make his voice sound too high.

Kai looked at him and handed him the bag. "Don't let Boris see it," he said, getting out of the lift.

Rei stared at the bag and then back Kai. "Thank you, Kai," he smiled. "Not only for this."

The doors started to close but he still saw Kai's lip turn upwards before he was out of sight. Rei sighed softly and leaned against the wall with a smile on his face as the lift reached the ground floor. He couldn't stop to smile. He didn't even pay any attention to the people giving him strange looks as he got out of the building.

For the first time today, Rei felt hopeful about the future. Kai had never been so warm before. . . maybe there was a hope for them- wait, he didn't even know if Kai was attracted to men. Rei had never seen him be interested in someone. That didn't mean that Kai wasn't into men, or woman, or both. Rei had come to term with his own bisexuality a long time ago, even though he had never been in a relationship.

Actually, the whole BBA G-Revolution team was very poor in the relationships department. Only Max was the only one who had some experiences. The Professor was too shy to approach any of his crushes. Takao and Hiromi had this weird tension between them. And Daichi. . . well, Rei didn't want to think about Daichi's love life.

His phones rang. It was a call from an unknown caller. Rei's brown furrowed. Not many people had his number.

"Hello?"

"Rei, finally! This is like the third time I tried to call you, this stupid thing continued to eat just my money and not make me call you!"

Rei grinned hearing his friend's voice, letter for now forgotten. "Lai! It's good to hear from you! Where are you?" It had been a while since he had heard Lai's voice or seen him.

Lai told him that he and the rest of the White Tigers had gone to buy some supplies in a city close to their village. Rei sat on a bench near the park as his childhood friend updated him about the last months. Rei did the same then, omitting Daitenji's offer for now.

"So. . . Did you receive the letter?" Lai asked him then.

Rei felt his previous good mood drop in a second. This couldn't end well.

"I did."

"And? When are you going to come? Autumn will come soon."

"Autumn?"

"Yes, Rei, our Autumn. The ceremony will be in the first week of August."

It meant only a few weeks. . .

"Rei, you there?"

"Yeah. . ."

"Well, then? When do you come?"

Rei rubbed his eyes. "Lai, there is something I have to tell you."

"I'm all ears." Lai's voice was cheerful. Rei doubted it would last for long as he told him about the offer.

Lai stayed quiet for a moment and then burst into a laugher. "Well, you can't be the next chairman," he said, patronizing. "Daitenji has to find another man. Right?"

Rei closed his eyes painfully.

"Rei? You aren't' interested, are you?" Lai's voice sounded panicked now.

"I'm considering it," Rei confessed.

"Rei," Lai breathed heavily, "you can't be both our clan leader and the BBA chairman."

"I know."

A heavy silence fell between them before Lai lost it.

"Are you out of your mind?! I thought you wanted to come back to the village after you ended- whatever the hell you are doing!"

"I thought so too," Rei said, not intimidated by Lai's outburst. "But things have changed."

"You promised, Rei! You promised you would come back! We trusted you!"

"I still didn't decide, Lai! Just let me-"

"Your desires to leave the village, to see the outside world, I stupidly thought it was really to help us!" Lai spat. "But you only think about yourself, don't you?! You never cared about us or the village. You only used us for your own benefit!"

"That's not true!"

"No?! Rei, you came back only for the Beyblade tournaments and then you left us at the first opportunity!"

"You knew why I left! BEGA-"

"Yes, but after the BEGA mess you decided to stay, to help the BBA rebuild, which was fine, you know? I thought it was noble from you, but now that the time has come where we need you, you still crave for the outside world!"

"If you let me explain-"

"Why isn't it ever enough for you, Rei?!"

Rei froze. He felt small, small like that day he had heard those same words as he peeked from the window.

 _Why isn't it ever enough for you, Rin?! Why can't you be happy with what we have?!_

"I'm sorry," Lai said, pulling Rei away from his memory. "It's just… When I finally think I understand you. . . something happens, and I don't know who you are again." Lai's voice sounded tired, as though all the anger had been sucked all from him. "Maybe we are the ones who always expect too much from you."

Rei didn't say anything. His felt a heavy boulder on his chest that prevented him from talking.

Lai sighed deeply. "Goodbye, Rei," he muttered and hang up.

Rei put the phone away and stared at his empty hands.

 _Is it so?_ Was he being greedy? Maybe, he will never be satisfied with his life, not even if he accepted Daitenji's offer and stayed here with his friends. . .

With Kai.

Will he ever be satisfied to be just Kai's friend? He had Kai's respect, his _trust_. But was it enough for his heart? He wasn't stupid enough to ruin their friendships over his feelings, but for how long could he keep going in this way?

Rei bit his lip, feeling copper in his mouth and closed his hands tightly. He hadn't felt so much doubts and pressures since his fights with Takao and Moses. He should get off some steam by beyblading. It was always helped him to find back his center.

"Kon Rei?"

Rei raised his head, watching carefully as two men were approaching him. They were tall and wear total black suits and dark sunglasses. The only difference between them was the hair color.

"Can you follow us, please?" asked, or more like ordered by the tone of his voice, the blond one. "There is someone who wants to meet you."

Rei's eyes become sharper. "I was taught to never follower strangers," he quipped, making it clear with his body language that he will not follow them.

"Well, I hoped you wouldn't make us do this the hard way," the brown haired guy said, cracking his fingers.

It took much more than this to make Rei feel intimidated. Whoever they were they will regret it because Rei was in a very good mood to kick some ass. Whether it was via a Beyblade battle or hand to hand fight.

* * *

Next chapter will have some action :) I want to give you a small sneak peek, next chapter is titled Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari ;)


	4. Mr and Mrs Hiwatari

Hello readers! This is a very long chapter than my usual, I even considered to split it in two, but I want to move forward with the story. There will be a lot of explanations, I hope it's not too "heavy".

* * *

This wasn't the first time Rei got into a fight.

A kid alone on the road always got the attention of shady characters. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know that the young boy was from a secret tribe who taught their people how to fight at a young age. Now, Rei didn't really like violence, but he would fight with all his might to defend his friends or like in this case himself.

The blonde man launched at him and Rei moved quickly, avoiding the punch and unleashing a kick that knocked the man off his feet. There was a flash of movement and Rei turned to his right at the last second, missing the blow from the brown-head. The man lost his equilibrium and Rei landed a hit on his back, making him fall over his buddy.

Use the enemy's own higher numbers against them. It was one of the first lessons that Master Tao had taught him.

"Damn, you idiot! Move away!" the blond-haired man shouted. "And use that damn thing already!"

"Well, I would if you would make your job and keep him still!"

Rei tilted his head as he watched the two men argue. His plan was to let them tire themselves down and then question them to know who had sent them and what they wanted from him. One thing was sure, whoever had hired them was even a bigger idiot than this two. They were making a dumb job if they were trying to be subtle or intimidating. And then, who went around dressed in black suits in the middle of the summer? Rei was starting to pity them.

Somehow the two buffoons managed to detangle from each other and tried to attack him again.

Rei avoided hit after hit and waited for the right moment. When they seemed tired enough Rei blocked the blond guy's head with his arms around and put him between himself and the other man like a shield. Before the man could understand what was happening, Rei slammed his knee into his stomach and knocked him out.

With a yell, the other man launched at him. Rei rolled his eyes and stopped his attack, twisting the man's arm and making him fall on his knees.

Now it was time for answers.

"Oh my god, what the hell are you doing you two?!" someone shouted.

Rei was sure nobody had been here a minute ago. Without thinking, Rei turned his head and the distraction cost him. He felt something sting into his neck and the last thing he saw was Mrs. Hiwatari's bewildered face. . .

 _Rei runs. He is in the forest. Driger is warm in his hand. The sun is almost gone._

 _Home isn't far. He can see the small house close to the river. A man is sitting outside on a bench, smoking a pipe after a hard day of work in the field._

 _Rei runs faster, he is at the edge of the forest but then he trips on a root. He falls and Driger slips from his hand._

 _The roots grab his legs and drag him back in the forest. Rei screams for help, but the man doesn't hear him._

 _"I won today!" he tells him, trying to get his attention._

 _The man is closer now and looks down at him. His amber eyes are harsh. His tied brown hair barely reaches his shoulder._

 _"One step, one footprint. But you have a long way to reach the top of the mountain, Rei."_

 _Rei bits his lower lip and feels his eyes getting wet._

 _Finally, the man holds out his hand and Rei tries to grab it, but the roots pull him down- someone else screams._

Rei opened his eyes slowly. He felt tired. His head hurt a bit and the banter happing somewhere close to him wasn't helping.

"- and who is the idiot here?"

"I fired them, what else do you want me to do?"

"I told you we should have taken him to the hospital!"

"Oh, come on, he is fine. They said he was going to wake up in one hour."

"One hour passed five minutes ago!"

"You are so impatient, dear. You should stay calm in your condition- Oh look, he woke up!"

Rei tried to stand up, but his head throbbed painfully, and he fell back on the couch. He closed his eyes and touched the bridge of his nose. He felt like after a drinking night with Takao and Max.

"Hey, easy there, lad."

Rei looked up and stiffened.

Mr. Hiwatari was hovering over him and was offering a glass of water. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to startle you," he said with a friendly smile.

Rei accepted the glass of water and exanimated his surroundings. It was a simple living room with a kitchen area, but the furniture looked expensive. Everything smelled new. His gaze fell on the small table in front of him where his Beyblade was laying.

"Driger!" Rei grabbed it and hold it close to his chest.

"It fell from your jacket when we took you here," Mr. Hiwatari informed him, sitting on another couch. "I couldn't help but analyze it, I hope you'll forgive me for it."

Rei looked at the man in confusion. Took him here? What did it mean? He tried to remember but his mind was just a mess. The last thing he remembered was Lai's call and nothing more. A sense of panic tried to crawl into his heart but he kept it at bay.

"It's a very interesting balance type Beyblade," Mr. Hiwatari said, more to himself. "The attack ring has short Upper Attack slopes, and through their angle still allows them to exhibit very effective Upper Attack, the Attack Ring is perhaps more notable for its Smash Attack. This is due to the excellent angle of its contact points, which focus the full force of the Beyblade's motion behind every hit- and the addition of the heavy metal system is just amazing-"

Rei felt his headache increase as the man talked and focused instead on his expressive eyes who were very similar but also so different from Kai's.

"Susumu, please, you are confusing him even more," Mrs. Hiwatari interrupted him.

Mr. Hiwatari put a hand behind his neck and chuckled. "Sorry, I'm always get carried away when I see a Beyblade."

"You know about Beyblade?" Rei asked, intrigued.

"Oh well. . ." the man smiled sheepishly. He sure smiled a lot, unlike someone else. "I'm a Beyblade engineer."

Of course, Kai's father was a Beyblade engineer, only someone in the field could know those things. He would get along great with the Professor.

Rei shook his head, trying to clear his mind. What the hell was he doing here? Chatting with those people like they were old friends. He had to focus, how did he get here with Kai's parents? Rei touched his neck and felt something like a patch.

Suddenly two men dressed in black showed up in his mind and his memories came back at full speed. He had been drugged!

Coming back to his senses, Rei stood up on his shaky legs and stared down at Mr. Hiwatari. "What do you want from me?!" he demanded. "If you think it will be easy to keep me here then you are deeply wrong!"

Mr. Hiwatari blinked and then started to laugh. "He thinks we have kidnapped him," he said with tears in his eyes.

Rei was flabbergasted as he stared at the surreal scene in front of him. Anger turned into more confusion. Mr. Hiwatari continued to laugh, unaware of Mrs. Hiwatari showing up behind him. She smacked her husband behind his head with a journal and the man finally stopped to laugh.

"Ouch!" he cried, probably overreacting. "What was that for?"

"That's because we basically did it, dumbass!" the woman growled. "What must the poor boy think if you send two burly men against him?!"

"It was a misunderstanding!" the man defended himself. "I didn't tell them to kidnap him!"

"You told to your stupid bodyguards to bring him to you at all costs!"

"I was joking!"

Rei couldn't hold himself up any longer and sat back on the couch. He must have hit his head very hard earlier, this was the only explanation he could find to explain this situation. Maybe he was in a coma.

"How do you feel now, dear?" Mrs. Hiwatari asked, turning to Rei. "I'm very sorry about the inconvenience we caused you. I assure you, you are not a prisoner here."

Rei was still speechless. He had imagined these two people to be cruel, he didn't expect them to be so. . . silly.

A tea kettle whistled, and Mrs. Hiwatari smiled. "Let's talk this over a cup of tea," she said softly. "We'll explain you everything."

After tea was served, Mrs. Hiwatari took a place beside her husband and they explained "everything". The couple had just wanted to have a chat with him, but the bodyguards had misunderstood Mr. Hiwatari who had just asked them to invite Rei to see them.

It was difficult to believe their story, but Rei had seen a lot of absurd things in his life. Ha had fought werewolves with silver coins, met children androids, got almost swallowed by a black hole. . . Being accidentally kidnapped didn't affect him much.

What made him more worried was what the two wanted to talk about.

Rei sipped his tea, watching the couple carefully.

"So, Rei. . ." Mr. Hiwatari paused, frowning. "I can call you by your name, right?"

He nodded, being called by his surname always made him feel uncomfortable.

"What do you know about us?"

Rei narrowed his eyes at the man's question. "Kai told me enough."

A sad smile appeared on Mr. Hiwatari's face and it took Rei off guard.

"I don't think you know the whole truth," Mrs. Hiwatari uttered. "Not even Kai does."

"You left him with his grandfather, didn't you?" Rei said, giving them an accusing look. "Just for money."

"We did leave him with my father," Mr. Hiwatari confirmed reluctantly. "But not for what you think."

Rei crossed his arms in front of his chest. "That's very difficult to believe," he countered. "What's the truth then?"

"Well, how to begin this. . ." Mr. Hiwatari rubbed a hand over his dark stubble. "It all started before I went to college, more than twenty years ago."

Rei blinked but didn't interrupt.

"I had always been home-schooled before I went to college. The only people I interact with were the one my father chose and the one I met at the high society parties. It was during one of these parties that I met Daitenji Kogoro."

"You know President Daitenji?" Rei asked, surprised.

Mr. Hiwatari grinned. "He was the one who introduced me to Beyblade. I quickly become interested and soon obsessed with it. Beyblade was something new and different from what my father made me study. Finally, when I went to college I was free to do what I wanted and I decided to found a Beyblade club but it didn't go well. That day only one person showed up."

Mr. Hiwatari's expression became severe, his eyes darkened.

"Vladimir Volkov."

"What?!" Rei breathed.

"He was different back then, or at least so I thought," Mr. Hiwatari said with disappointment. "We were both freshmen and soon we become friends. Best friends."

Rei stared at the man, deeply disturbed by the idea.

"I tried to involve other students," Mr. Hiwatari continued. "But nobody was interested. Beyblade wasn't a known sport back then. But I was stubborn and still decided to not close the club, hoping one day people would become interested and love this sport too. And one day it happened."

He grasped his wife's hand and they both shared a fond smile. Rei glanced away, feeling out of place.

Mr. Hiwatari cleared his throat and continued his story. "Misaki showed up at the end of the first term. She was very popular in the university and her interest in my club attired other people. By the end of the first year, everyone knew what Beyblade was. . . But Volkov didn't like it." Mr. Hiwatari's voice became heavier as he kept talking. "While I thought Beyblade was a sport that connected and brought people together, he had a different idea from mine, he thought it was something like. . . A military discipline. For him, there was no place for sentiments."

 _The Abbey_. . . Rei thought bitterly.

"I thought we could have worked on our differences, but our friendship was doomed. Our goals clashed at the end of college and after a big fight, I decided to cut ties with him. I guess he never stopped to hate me. He thought I abandoned him." Mr. Hiwatari closed his hands around his knees. "If only I knew what he would have done in the future. It is because of me that he met my father," he said, looking ashamed. "How foolish I was."

Rei thought about the Neoborg team, all the kids who had suffered in the abbey. . . What Moses and Ming Ming had been almost forced to do.

What Kai had almost become because of him.

"He was a deviated man," Rei said, "there was nothing you could have done to change him."

Mr. Hiwatari looked surprised for a moment before he continued his story. "After college, Misaki and I had decided to work in the Beyblade field. My father, of course, disapproved. He thought Beyblade was just a children's play before he discovered its full "potential", thanks to Volkov," Mr. Hiwatari snorted. "He also disliked my relationship with Misaki since she wasn't from a wealthy family. He told me to forget about Beyblade and my relationship or he would disinherit me. I couldn't care less, I hated him and company.

"So, we decided to leave everything behind and start a new life, far away from our families. But our plan got a slow down when Kai was born. Don't get us wrong, we were really happy."

Mrs. Hiwatari opened her bag and passed Rei a picture. It was a family portrait with a young Kai sitting between his parents and smiling at the camera. He was absolutely adorable! Rei couldn't help but smile.

"It was a beautiful time, but soon things started to get difficult," Mr. Hiwatari said, casting his eyes down. "My father- no, Soichiro never forgave me for leaving the company and ruin his years of planning. He decided to make our lives hell. Every job we got, we always lost it after a few months and soon just weeks. We had always to move to find a new place where to live. . ."

"But he always found us," Mrs. Hiwatari broke in when she saw her husband in difficulty. "We always tried to live with just the little we had. We hoped one day our Beyblade project would work but things go downhill when Kai got sick. . ." She made a pause and her husband patted her knee in silent comfort. "His fever wouldn't get down and the doctor at the hospital didn't know what was wrong with him. He was almost dying."

A flicker of fear curled in Rei's chest but then he remembered that Kai was fine now.

"We were desperate and decided to contact Soichiro. If there was someone who could help us, it was him. He would have enough resources to help us. He decided to help but on one condition. Kai had to stay with him and had no contact with us."

"And you accepted," Rei said, not kindly.

Mr. Hiwatari stared at him with hollow eyes. "We didn't have a choice."

Kai's words resonated in Rei's mind. _There is always a choice. Whether you make it or not._ Rei wondered if it really was so.

"Thanks to Soichiro's help, Kai healed," Mr. Hiwatari said. "We tried to see him, but it was impossible with Soichiro. He made a restraining order and treated us to send us to prison forever if we ever showed our faces again or tried to contact Kai. So, we stopped. I just asked Soichiro to give Kai a last gift from us in the hope that one day he would remember about us. Dranzer and the Red Phoenix. But he never looked for us. . ."

"Because he thinks you abandoned him," Rei finished for them. Kai's grandfather had taken advantage of his young age, lied about his parents to manipulate him.

A heavy silence fell in the room as Rei absorbed what Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari had told him. He believed them, his instinct was good when it came to lies. But there was still something they weren't telling him.

"Why didn't you show up earlier?" he asked. After Hiwatari Soichiro had been arrested there would have been nothing that could have stopped them. "Why only now?"

"We were scared," Mrs. Hiwatari admitted. "What kind of parents would not fight for their child?"

"We know we are not perfect, Rei," Mr. Hiwatari said. "We should have tried harder, the mistakes we made will be forever our burden, but we want to amend us now. Please believe us!"

Rei looked at them cautiously. "I believe you," he said after a moment.

Mr. Hiwatari smiled and Mrs. Hiwatari sighed relieved.

"But why did you contact me?" Rei couldn't understand why they decided to tell him their story.

"Well, Kai made it clear that he wants nothing to do with us," Mr. Hiwatari said, touching his face. His bruise had become darker since this morning.

"But when you showed up this morning, we saw something in Kai's face that told us if there was someone who could change Kai's mind about us, to make him understand, that's you, Rei."

It took a moment for Rei to understand what he meant. "No," he said. "I can't do this." Kai would be furious if discovered it.

"Please, Rei," Mrs. Hiwatari begged. "We are not asking you to lie for us. Just to help us make peace with Kai."

"There is something very important we have to tell him," Mr. Hiwatari confessed. "Something we have to tell him personally."

Rei stared back at the family picture. They seemed so happy, especially Kai. He knew it wasn't his business, Kai himself had told him to not get involved but Rei couldn't just ignore or forget what Kai's parents had told him.

Kai needed to know the truth and from there he will make his decision. Rei had just to hope to not get burned.

He put the picture on the small table and looked back at the couple, who had been patiently waiting for his decision. "I will try to talk to him," he said, and raised a hand when he saw the couple's expressions turn happy. "But I can't do any promises. Everything will be up to him."

Mr. Hiwatari clapped his hands. "That's perfect!" he exclaimed, delighted. "We are not asking more, we just want a chance."

There was surely more to Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari story but Rei doubted that his mind could take any more information. He needed some time alone to think. He told his intention to the couple and they agreed wholly. It had been a rough morning for all of them.

"It was very nice to meet you, Rei," Mrs. Hiwatari said as she led him to the door.

Rei wasn't sure he could say the same. He was tired and felt overwhelmed. He just wanted to eat his baozi (thankfully the takeaway bag hadn't been left in the park) and go to sleep. Whatever sedative he had been injected with hadn't still ended its effects.

"Here, have this." She handed him a bunch of bills. "They should be enough to pay the cab."

She had insisted to call a taxi for him, but Rei couldn't accept the money as well.

"I insist, Rei," Mrs. Hiwatari said, determinate. "This is the least I can do. You offend us if you don't accept."

 _And never offend a Hiwatari,_ Rei thought hopelessly. "Thank you, Mrs. Hiwatari," he replied, accepting the money.

"You're welcome, dear, but please just call me Misaki," she said, opening the door.

Rei bid her goodbye and walked out in the hallway. The apartment was in a fancy building situated in the wealthiest part of the city.

"Rei?" she called him as he waited for the lift.

Rei turned his head to look at her.

"No matter how this will end, I'm happy Kai has a person like you by his side," Misaki said, grateful.

Rei felt his cheeks warm up and he averted her brown eyes, not wanting to let her see that there was something more on his part. "He has a lot of faithful friends by his side now. You don't have to worry."

Misaki stared at him quietly then winked. "Goodbye, Rei."

Once he got in the cab and told the driver his address, Rei took out his phone. He had four text messages. Two were from Max and Takao. Today was their last day of school before summer vacation and they were super excited to be finally free from "hell".

One was from Hiromi. She, on the other hand, felt depressed since she didn't have anything to do for a month and Takao mocked her for it. _Rei! You surely can understand me!_ she had surely written in anger.

Rei shook his head and opened the last message.

It was from President Daitenji.

 _Rei, we have an emergency. The event planner we assumed can't help us anymore and I can only ask you. Can you please organize the opening night of the new BB stadium?_

Rei reread the text three times. The opening was in two weeks.

Maybe it was time to consider moving to the Himalayas and become a hermit.

* * *

So, now that the truth about Kai's parents is out I want to give some explanation that I couldn't give earlier to not spoil anything.

Susumu Hiwatari's history is clearly inspired by his manga backstory. You can find it on internet but to sum it up Susumu had an argument with his father over Beyblades and decided to leave the company and left Kai with Soichiro. There is no information about Kai's mother apart from being just there and doing nothing. I had to make up her entire character and /even her name/, the name has been corrected, I've been informed her name is Misaki.

The only things that the Susumu in this fic shares with manga Susumu are the passion for Beyblade and the argument with Kai's grandfather. I tried to build a backstory that could have made sense in the anime context. Vorkov's past with Susumo was made up too. I hope it makes sense. I don't know how Susumu is in the manga (I didn't read it, just found some information on the internet) I tried to make him make him funny but at the same time serious.

I hope you weren't disappointed. If you have questions just ask.

Next chapter will focus again on Rei and Kai and other characters will finally show up :)


	5. Shopping Time

Rei stepped into his house and let his shoulders drop.

Finally, home.

This past week had been hell with the organization of the opening night. President Daitenji had even assigned him an assistant to help him. Mr. Yamato. A fussy man with a mix of Yuriy and Hiromi's personality and the fixations to call him Mr. Kon, even though Rei had told him to drop it.

Today the man tormented him with the color of the _napkins_. Rei had innocently told him to go for red.

"Which red?" Mr. Yamato had asked then. Rei had been checking again the guest's list and had stared at his assistant a bit perplexed.

 _"Uh normal red?" he answered._

 _"Mr. Kon," Mr. Yamato said pompously. "There are different types of red. Apple red, scarlet, carmine-"_

Rei had lost the count of red he had read out.

Who would have known that red could have so different names? It wasn't like he didn't care about colors. His culture gave a great importance to colors and so did he. Each color had different meanings and expressed different feelings. What he didn't care about was the different shades a color could have or their names.

Of course, Mr. Yamato didn't think the same. He had made him lose half an hour, and, in the end, they had settled for a crimson.

 _"Which isn't just a red, Mr. Kon, but a shade of magenta,"_ Mr. Yamato had pointed out.

Rei had met a lot of particular people, but nobody had been such a nutter. Well, he was sure Mr. Yamato could not find out which shades were Kai's unique red eyes.

 _At least he makes a good job,_ Rei thought as he went straight to the bathroom. This was the first afternoon where he could finally catch a break.

The weather had become hotter in the last days and he needed a cold shower. Rei let out a pleased sigh when the water touched his skin. Once he was all wet, he sat down on the small stool with a washcloth and let his mind wander off as he rinsed his body and hair.

He hadn't seen Kai not even once since that day. Both had been very busy. Rei with the BBA and Kai with the launch of his new Beyblade line. There had been no opportunity to talk.

Rei opened the water again and closed his eyes, letting it wash over him.

Sometimes it still felt surreal thinking about Kai's _parents_. Well, of course, Kai hadn't been delivered by the stork, but Rei had always assumed he just didn't have them. Which wasn't totally untrue, Susumu and Misaki had been absent for most of Kai's life. Rei had recognized it back then. The lost in Kai's eyes. It could be different from each person, but it always left a mark.

Something clenched down in Rei's heart. Pain, it always tried to surface, but Rei suppressed it quickly. He shut the water off, took a comb and started to brush his hair.

It wasn't too late for the Hiwatari, there was still a chance for them. . . But what should he tell Kai? It wasn't like he ever listened to anyone, not even when he was close to death. Rei knew he was leading himself into dangerous territory, this could end into a total disaster if he wasn't careful- _Ouch!_

Rei stared down at the comb stuck in his hair and grimaced. It was in moments like this that he thought of just cutting his hair off, but he always discarded the idea quickly. He was too attached to his long locks to get rid of them.

 _And she has always liked them._

Maybe he needed a little trim but for now, he just untangled the knot and continued to brush his long locks carefully.

Once he finished, Rei wrapped a towel around his middle and went into the living room. His programme was to sit in front of the fan and loaf around for the rest of the day.

But of course, when he was finally going to relax a bit, someone rang the doorbell.

"Just a moment!" Rei shouted, going to the bedroom. He couldn't open the door wearing just a towel. He put on a light summer tunic, one of his baggy pants and quickly tied his hair in a low ponytail. As he got closer to the front door, he could hear familiar voices coming from outside.

"Rei, finally!" Takao shouted as Rei opened the door. "We almost thought you weren't at home!"

There was also Max and Hiromi with him.

"Come on, Rei!" Hiromi broke in. "Put your shoes on!"

"What?" Rei blurted, confused.

His eyes caught Max's, who was grinned at him, his gaze full of mirth. "Ready for some shopping?" he asked cheerfully.

"Shopping?" Someone told him please it was a joke.

"Yep," Max replied, unfortunately. "Hiromi thinks we need nice clothes for the opening night of the stadium!"

"And afterward we are going to the arcade and Hiromi is going to pay!" Takao added. "Isn't it awesome?"

"I said I will only pay for the first game!" Hiromi corrected him.

So, this how she had corrupted him to go shopping with her.

"You know I'm not interested in this kind of things," Rei remembered them, leaning against the door frame. He didn't like video games, he had always been more of an outdoor games guy. And he wasn't a fan of shopping either.

"Reeei, don't be a grandpa," Takao whined. "It will be fun! It's not like there are only video games!"

"I have to support Takao in this," Max beamed. "It's been a while since we didn't do something together!"

"And then you have to look especially nice, Rei," Hiromi asserted. "Since you are not only a historical member of the BBA team but also the one organizing the night!"

"But I already have something-" Rei tried to argue.

"Do you want me to go through your wardrobe just like I did with Takao?" she threatened him.

Rei sighed, knowing he had lost this battle.

They decided to take the bus since the mall was a bit a far from his home. Rei wondered where Daichi and the Professor were since Hiromi was determinate to play image consultant for the BBA team.

"The Professor is busy with his parent's shop," Max told him. "While Daichi disappeared when Hiromi showed up at the dojo and started to talk about shopping."

 _Lucky them,_ though Rei gruffly.

As expected, the mall was crowded but not many people noticed them. They entered several shops but each time they left empty-handed. At least there was air conditioning and a good ice-cream shop.

"This one!" Hiromi said, pointing at a shop with an elegant banner. "We will surely find something there."

Rei was starting to feel tired of the hunt for the perfect clothes and he wasn't the only one. Takao saw several kids playing Beyblade outside the shop but before he could escape and join them Hiromi pushed a bunch of clothes into his arms.

"Max, I entrust Rei to you," she said, dragging a whining Takao to the dressing rooms.

"So," Max started as they were left alone, "how are things going, Rei?"

Rei shrugged, staring down at a shirt even though he wasn't really interested. "Uhh, fine," he muttered.

Max hummed as he searched through the clothes. "Sure, that's why you look so miserable."

"It's been a very hard week," Rei said, playing with the sleeve of the shirt.

He could feel Max looking back at him. "You didn't still make up your mind, did you?" he asked, concerned.

Max was the only one, aside from Kai, who knew about Daitenji's offer and the village's demands.

Rei shook his head. August will be here soon, and he couldn't stall with Daitenji either. He had to make his decision after the opening night.

"You know what," Max said, mischievous. "I know how to cheer you up!"

Rei looked up with a frown. He didn't like that tone of voice, it never promised anything good.

Max took out his phone, pressed several buttons and put it close to his ear. "Hello, Kai!" he exclaimed after a few seconds. "Are you busy?"

Rei couldn't believe it. "Max!" he hissed when he understood what his friend was trying to do.

Max was also the only one who knew about his crush. Well, it wasn't like Rei wanted to share his secret but during a drinking night a few months ago at Takao's house -after several shots of his grandfather's sake- he had been very vocal about his feelings when Kai didn't show up.

Luckily, only Max and Takao had been present in that moment and the latter had already passed out when Rei had started to babble and. . . cry. At least Rei had learned that his alcohol tolerance wasn't high enough as he had thought. . . Anyway, Max had been enough sober to remember everything and since then he tried to play match-maker.

Needless to say, he was really bad at it. Rei didn't know if it was a positive or negative thing.

"I wanted to ask if you wanted to come at the new arcade with me and the others," Max said, winking at him. "Oh, and Rei is here too."

 _Negative._ Absolutely, negative. Rei wanted to hit his head against the mannequin behind him for the embarrassment.

"Don't worry!" Max said with too much enthusiasm. "We are at the mall right now, so we will take some time as well."

Rei tried to hear what Kai said on the other end of the line, but it was impossible to understand the murmurs even with his hearing.

" _Very good!_ See you later!" Max closed the call and grinned. "Mission completed, Kai is going to join us!"

"Kai is going to join us?" Rei repeated slowly.

"I thought you would show more enthusiasm," Max mused. "Don't tell me you aren't happy?"

"It's not that," Rei said quickly. "I didn't think he would have agreed to come. Knowing him. . ."

Max laughed. "Now we have to find something for you-" He cut himself off, his blue eyes became wider and shiner. "Look! This is perfect for you, Rei!" he said, showing him a Tang suit without sleeves but different from the sporty ones Rei usually wore.

It was a very elegant suit, probably made out of silk, not too eye-catching even though it had golden details like the frogs and lines. It was perfect for a night event. The only problem was. . . the suit was a deep purple.

Rei stared at Max, a bit unsure.

"Oh, come on," Max said, encouraging. "Trying it doesn't harm." He even made the big puppy eyes, nobody could resist them, not even Rei.

"Mm, fine," Rei gave in, taking the suit.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up in a minute," Max smiled. "I have to look for something."

Rei nodded. He went in dressing rooms area and started to laugh when his eyes landed on Takao who was wearing a tree pieces red suit. He looked more like a ringmaster than a guest star.

"Yeah, thank you for your clear opinion, Rei," Takao said, miserable. "Are you happy now, Hiromi?"

Hiromi put a hand under her chin thoughtfully. "I guess you don't have the charm for certain outfits."

"Or maybe you just have bad tastes?!" Takao returned. "I told you it was horrible!"

"I think he needs something more practical, Hiromi," Rei told her before the two started to argue. The shop assistant was giving them already long looks. "After all, he'll have a match and there is no time to change clothes."

This reminded Rei that he had to decide the second Beyblader for the friendly match at the inauguration. Takao being the BBA's poster boy had been the first obvious choice. Rei had thought of Kai then, but he wasn't sure that he and Takao were able to contain themselves and not destroy the new stadium.

"Fine, I'll look for something more fitting," Hiromi said, walking out of the dressing rooms.

" _Whew_ , thanks, man," Takao sighed, turning to Rei. "Speaking of the match, did you ask Kai?"

"I'm not sure if he is the right choice, Takao," Rei confided. "I don't think you two have enough self-control to keep it down."

"We are no more kids, we are older now-" Takao said with too much seriousness, causing the opposite effect, and Rei snorted.

"I'm being serious, Rei!" Takao claimed, punching his arm without any force. "We can contain ourselves and still have a good match!"

Rei raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't mind keeping it down?" he asked.

"No, if I'm still having fun!" Takao grinned. "And I'm sure Kai will accept as well if you ask him," he added enthusiastically.

Rei chuckled. "I will think about it," he said and entered in a cubicle before the shop assistant, who was now staring annoyingly, came to scold them.

Something fell on his head as he tried the suit on. It was a simple pair of black pants.

"Put this one too, Rei," said Max from the other side.

Rei observed the pants with critical eyes. They looked really tight and uncomfortable, it wasn't something he usually would wear. Could he even move around in this?

"Are you sure they are my size?" he asked loudly.

 _"Of course!"_ Max answered in English. "They are just from the skinny line!"

Rei frowned but he put them on, through with a bit of difficult since they were really, _really_ , tight. He then looked at his reflection in the mirror and gasped.

The pants were a bit too long, but this was the last of his problem since they were too tight, especially at his backside. As for the suit. . . it had been a while since he wore something different than white, the purple was just too much. He couldn't walk around in this.

"Rei?" Max called him. "You still there?!"

"Yeah," Rei answered. "I'm putting back my clothes."

Suddenly the curtain was opened, and Rei turned around in surprise.

"Wow!" Max breathed. "You look amazing!"

No, he looked like a gigolo. He could already see a line of old ladies asking him to escort them to a party.

Hiromi peeked from behind Max and clapped her hands. "This outfit is perfect for you, Rei!" she cheered.

Rei folded his arms in front of his chest. "I'll not go outside dressed in this way," he told them.

"What?! But it would be a shame for-for-" Hiromi stuttered and hid the face in her hands.

"What she means is that it's a pity to leave this outfit here when it was clearly waiting for you," Max said with amusement. "The purple makes your eyes pop!"

Rei looked back at his profile. Well, he didn't exactly look bad. Maybe it had been the initial shock at making feel out of his skin. The outfit was just a bit different from his usual style. Sure, the pants were tight, but it didn't stop his bloodstream as he had thought. And the purple suit. . . sometimes changing wasn't bad.

"But if you don't really feel comfortable, we can look for something different," Max said, gently.

Rei pondered a bit on it. "The suit is fine," he whispered. "But maybe the pants are just a bit too long."

Through to the mirror, he saw Max's lips turn upward. "I'm sure this can be arranged!" he reassured.

"I can fix them for you, Rei!" Hiromi proposed. "Nobody can beat me with a needle!"

"Fine," Rei said, turning back to them. A smile surged up to his face. "Thank you, Hiromi."

Hiromi smiled back and raised her thumb. "You're welcome, now I'm going to check on Takao," she said and disappeared from their sight.

It took another twenty minutes before they got out of the mall, everyone with new clothes.

"Let's go to the arcade now!" Takao barked, taking the lead. The new arcade was close to the mall and it was in a two-story building.

"Wait!" Max said when Takao walked to the entrance. "We have to wait for Kai!"

"Is he coming too?!" Takao said with new enthusiasm. "This will be more fun!"

Rei and Max chuckled while Hiromi shook her head fondly. Suddenly a blue motorcycle passed close to them, making a huge sound with his stupid engine, and stopped a few feet away. Rei turned around and glared. He hated the sound of motorcycles; his ears were too sensitive to it. And he was sure the asshole did it on purpose to pass near them!

"Hey, you!" Hiromi shouted. "Be careful!"

The biker removed his helmet, and Rei's eyes went wide. He quickly felt his adrenaline kick and his heart beat faster.

"Kai?" Takao said, voicing out the group's confusion. "Since when do you have a motorcycle?!"

Kai didn't answer as he dismounted from the bike. He was wearing a simple grey shirt with a band logo Rei didn't recognize, his signature scarf and a pair of leather pants with black boots. Only Kai could wear things like that in the middle of the summer without breaking a sweat. Rei would have envied him if he wasn't busy in pining after him.

Kai put the helmet in the box and then their gaze met. Rei gave him a welcome smile and Kai answered with a nod. His mouth shifted slightly upward but it was enough to make Rei go weak at the knees.

 _Keep it together,_ Rei told to himself. _No time to act in stupid ways._

"So, I'm not a motorcycle expert," Max said, eyeing the bike, "but this doesn't look like something for mass consumption."

Kai made a sound that translated meant, _congratulation_ , _you are not wrong, Max._

"Can I take a ride?" Takao asked, tapping the bike's seat, which was a wrong move. When will he learn to not touch Kai's things without permission?

"No," Kai spat, glaring at Takao. "And stop touching it with your paws."

Takao pouted and muttered under his breath, _"possessive bastard"_ before he turned back to his usual self. "So, can we go now?" he asked and at that same time an expensive looking car parked beside Kai's bike.

Rei and the others gawked at Yuriy and Boris as they stepped out of the car.

"They wanted to tag along," Kai informed them, limbs crossed in his usual pose.

Yuriy pointed a finger at Boris. "You mean, he wanted to tag along."

"A bit of fun will not harm you guys," Boris said, rolling his eyes.

"Good!" Takao cheered with raised arms. "The more the merrier!"

Rei wasn't sure there will still be an arcade by the end of the day.


	6. Aim and Fire

Hello everyone and sorry for the late update. This chapter is very long and I'm still not satisfied with it but I want to move forward with the story.

I actually don't know much about arcades, I knew there were and still are very popular in Japan. Anyway, I just needed a "playground" for the character and took inspiration from the one in my hometown.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

The arcade was crammed with people of different ages. Young kids, teenagers, groups of old friends. There were also some lonely adults who were probably relaxing for ten minutes before getting home and being yelled by their wives for coming late.

Max, Hiromi, and Boris had gone forward to go exchange the money to chips.

Rei looked around, not really interested in anything. The shiny screens and the loud sounds gave him a mild discomfort.

Meditation had always helped him not only to get ready for a battle but also to sustain the noisy involvements of the Beyblade tournaments. But now he couldn't just sit into a corner and ignore everyone else. It didn't help that the air in there was very hot, he couldn't understand if it was so for the lack of air conditioning or because the place was crowded with too many people.

Rei glanced at the rest of the group. Kai and Yuriy seemed two fish out of the water just like him. Maybe more like two sharks than just random fish.

Kai had his usual deadpan expression, but his aura created a circle around him that kept people a few feet away from him. Yuriy was looking around with a sneer on his face, glaring at every person who accidentally got too close to him.

Unlike them, Takao was- wait. Rei blinked at the empty spot where a young man wearing a baseball cap should be. Takao was missing! But he was here just a few seconds ago! Rei tried to find him, but the surrounding crowd made it impossible. He took out his phone to call him but there was no signal.

"Shouldn't we look for Takao?" he asked aloud, worried. Losing someone inside this big place, especially Takao, within one minute wasn't a good start.

He could already hear Hiromi tell him, "you had one job, Rei!"

Kai just shrugged, translation: I'm not Kinomiya's babysitter.

Yuriy gave him a how-dare-you-suggest-such-a-thing look. "If you care so much, just go look yourself, mother hen," he added as if his opinion hadn't been clear enough.

 _Yeah, thank you, your highness,_ Rei thought to himself.

At least Hiromi and Boris finally came back… but Max wasn't with them.

"Don't worry, he is with Takao," Hiromi explained. She handled him some chips before her gaze was caught by something or better someone. "Oh, there are a few of my classmates!" she said, excited. "I'll be back soon!"

Rei frowned as she left. Let's spend some time together they had said. Wonderful friends he had, why were they all disappearing? At least Kai was still here.

A phone started to ring. Kai's phone. Rei felt like he spoke too soon as Kai answered. Why did Kai's phone work here but not his?

"It's the R&D department," Kai told Yuriy. "Same problem again."

Yuriy nodded and glanced at Boris. "Ty idesh'?" he asked.

"YA priyekhal syuda za vesel'yem," Boris answered, "ne dlya tvoyego nesvyaznoy boltovni."

Yuriy rolled his eyes. "Так, Так, bol'shoy rebenok," he said.

Rei sent a questioning look to Kai. He only knew some words of Russian. One of them being Так which meant something like ok.

"We'll be back soon," Kai informed him before walking away with Yuriy.

It was just Rei and Boris now. Was this destiny's twisted sense of humor? He should go to find Max and Takao before-

"So, what about a nice and old challenge between our two?" Boris asked, smugness radiating off him.

 _Nice and old? This isn't a good idea,_ Rei's mind warned him, but he ignored it, it wasn't like he always listened to his warning bells.

"Sure," Rei agreed. "What kind of challenge?"

Boris smirked. "Follow me."

They walked past the crowd -Boris had also the power that made people move away unconsciously from his path- and took the stairs. Rei had no idea what was up there, but he could hear strange sounds as they got closer to the top.

His eyes widened once they reached the floor. It was a shooting range. A thick glass wall separated the big room from everything else. There must be at least ten firing lines.

Maybe he should have asked the question before accepting.

"You want to back off?" Boris asked.

Him backing off from a challenge? Even though all the odds were all against him and in favor of Boris?

"Of course not," Rei answered, standing a little taller. Being in disadvantage had never stopped him.

"Good," Boris said with his stupid smirk.

After they waited for their turn, an assistant gave them a pair of goggles and an airsoft sniper gun, explaining the rules. Although the gun couldn't do any real damage Rei was sure Boris could kill with it anyway.

They went in the last two firing lines and took their positions.

Rei observed how Boris hold casually the big gun with just one arm to take the aim. Rei had no idea how a gun worked, a part of taking the aim and pull the trigger. It shouldn't be too difficult. It wasn't a real weapon.

Noticing he was being observed, Boris gave him a cocky grin and fired without even looking. The bullet had almost hit the middle of the round target.

 _Show off._

Rei decided to hold his gun in more a classical way, just like the other players. He didn't have Boris' skills, but he had a good eyesight on his side.

He took aim, pulled the trigger and… totally missed the target. Boris snickered but Rei ignored him.

This was just the first time, he will not get discouraged now. When Rei failed the next shots as well Boris laughed openly at him. Rei felt slowly his temper rising. Not good, he couldn't lose his calm now.

"You are holding that gun wrong."

Rei turned his head at the voice, noticing only now Kai and Yuriy being behind them. For how long had they been there? Well, surely enough to see him embarrassing himself.

"Here," Kai said, coming to his aid. He gripped the hand with which Rei was holding the gun and changed the position of his fingers.

Rei shivered at the contact, Kai's proximity was making him feel a bit dizzy. He tried to focus on what Kai was saying, though it was a bit difficult.

Kai's pale hands were elegant and lean but large, like the ones of the pianists. Just the opposite from Rei's tanned ones. It reminded Rei how much different he and Kai were, but yet so similar. Because even though they were physically different, they both still had Beyblader's hands. Calloused and slightly scarred by the blades, the battles and the never-ending training for a passion that had brought them together so many years ago.

Once Rei had a good grip on the gun, they turned to the target, still standing side by side. Kai's nice scent cocooned him like a warm embrace.

It was almost like in the old days, when they still trained together before Rei had decided to leave the BBA team. Kai had always been a good advisor to him and Rei had missed him a lot when he had joined the Baihuzu. It was during that period that Rei had started to understand that maybe what he felt for Kai wasn't just admiration.

"Relax your body," Kai whispered, "only if you control your breath you can focus on your target."

Rei did as he was told, unaware of his surrounding until an annoying someone cleared his throat.

"Are you done, Kai-sempai?" Boris teased him. "Or should I call you Sensei?"

Suddenly Rei realized how close they were, with Kai basically stuck to his side just like back at his office, but now _in public_. Kai must have realized it only now too. He quickly took a step back and turned his head away to face Boris. Rei was grateful for it since he couldn't stop himself from blushing.

"Zatknites', Kuznetsov," Kai growled, slipping in Russian, "zanimaysya svoimi delami. Yesli khochesh' rabotu."

Boris lowered his gun. "Net neobkhodimosti byt' takoy svirepoy, ty znayesh', Boss," he grinned, "My prosto vse dumali, kogda ty-"

"Ladno khvatit, Boris," Yuriy interrupted him. "Just finish your shots, I want to try as well."

Boris sighed, muttered something under his breath still in Russian.

The little exchange had helped Rei to calm down as he had tried to translate whatever they had been talking about. His confused eyes danced from Yuriy to Boris. Little to say that he had understood almost nothing.

"Don't get distracted," Kai told him coldly, turning back to him. "Now just aim and shoot."

He was back in his shell like a hermit crab who had been poked. The sudden change of attitude made the last of Rei's warm feeling sweep away. _Far away again,_ he mused but he brushed the thought away. Now it was time to concentrate. He couldn't fail again after Kai's pieces of advice.

He calmed his breath as he had been told earlier and aimed. He fired, and finally managed to hit the target. It wasn't in the middle, but it was close to it. He let out a small excited sound and turned unconsciously to Kai who just nodded at him.

The next shots hit the target as well, each closer to the center until the last two bullets hit the middle of the circle. At this point, Boris had already won and was savoring his victory. Well, not everybody could be an ex-trained Russian killer.

"Not bad for your first time," Yuriy commented, interrupting Boris' fun.

Rei couldn't believe he got a compliment from the ice queen. "I've got a good teacher," he said, his eyes shifting to a certain figure.

Kai had taken Boris' place and was reloading the gun. Was there something that he didn't do in an unattractive way?

He was distracted by Yuriy taking the gun from his grasp and shaking his head. "Hopeless," he muttered as he walked away.

Hopeless? So much for praising him earlier.

Rei leaned his back against the wall as he watched Kai and Yuriy talk in Russian again. It was starting to be annoying. Anyway, whatever Yuriy said it must be some serious stuff because Kai had the ultimate determinate look.

They shook hands and took their places. Neither of them missed the middle of the target. This will be more nerves of steel kind of battle since both were very skilled.

"So, what are you waiting to make your move?" Boris suddenly asked.

Rei narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Boris made a face as though Rei was the odd one. "Your feelings for Hiwatari Kai," he said, blunt.

Rei should deny it, but he wasn't able to do it. "This isn't your business," he reminded him sharply. He had never liked people prying in his life and Boris wasn't that kind of person, so he didn't understand what was his intention.

Boris raised his hands in a mocking way. "Just trying to help Kotehok, no need to scratch."

"You help?" Rei raised an eyebrow. "What can you know about. . . the subject?"

"I know enough," Boris said, glancing at the red-head. The light in his eyes briefly changed from amused to fondness.

Rei's mouth dropping open slightly'. Boris and Yuriy?! How did he never notice it? "You two are. . . "

Boris answered with a grin. "I've needs, too."

Need? Boris made it sound so selfish. . . Did he need Kai? No, what Rei felt couldn't be summarised just as need. It was even more than a want or desire.

"It's not like you think," Rei muttered thoughtfully.

 _I love him._

Boris looked back at him with a frown.

Did he just say that aloud? Great, he had just said for the first time aloud without any alcohol influence that he loved Kai to Boris.

"And what's the difference?" Boris scoffed. "Need, desires, _love_ ," he added sarcastically, "It's all the same."

"It's not," Rei countered. "A need is something you can't live without, love is more. It's more than a need to be together, it's more than a desire."

 _If the two hearts are united forever, why do the two persons need to stay together, day after day, night after night?*_

The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl didn't stop to love each other even though they have been separated and could only meet once a year.

"So, you are saying that you can live without him?" Boris cackled, shaking his head. "You are something Kon Rei, but the end result doesn't change," he uttered, "you are a coward."

"What?!" Rei snapped, taking a step back.

"You heard right, yours are just excuses that weakling use," Boris said nastily. "Now, do you only fear rejection or is there something else? Let me guess-"

Rei closed his hands into fists as he felt his blood starting to boil and cloud his mind. "You don't know _nothing_ me," he said with spite. "You are just heartless bastard and I'll not allow _you_ from all the people to judge me."

He was done with Boris and the discussion. He made to turn away, but Boris grabbed his wrist and stopped him. "Oh, you are wrong here too," he rebutted coldly.

Rei felt a shiver run down his spine at Boris' pale eyes. It was a calculating gaze that he hadn't seen in years since their battle in Russia.

"You can hide behind your brave face," Boris said with a sardonic smirk, pulling him closer. "But I can see your weaknesses pretty well, remember?"

Rei bared his teeth and tried to free his wrist, but Boris was stronger. "Let me go," he hissed. "Or you'll regret it." In response, Boris gripped his wrist harder and Rei let out a pained groan. His arm was seriously starting to hurt.

"You think you are like a wildcat, strong and independent," Boris went on, "but you are just an abandoned stray cat who is now scared of humans, but still wants a hand to feed him- _Blyad_!"

Boris stared wide-eyed at his bleeding hand, the one Rei had bitten to get his arm free. Rei dried his lips with the back of his hand, but the taste of the blood didn't fade away.

Boris looked shocked, his gaze moved from his hand to Rei. The cruel glitter in his eyes was gone. "Rei, I," he stuttered, taking a step back. "I don't know what came over me- I'm sorry-"

"What are you doing you two?" Yuriy interrupted, suddenly staring at them.

Boris quickly hid his hand in the pocket of his jeans.

Kai turned towards them too with a frown on his face.

"Nothing, we were just betting on who would win," Rei lied, his voice sounded lifeless to his own ears.

Kai tried to catch Rei's gaze, but Rei quickly avoided him. The taste of the foreign blood was starting to make him feel sick.

"Let me know how it ends," Rei said with half-smile, not wanting to stay there anymore. "I'm going to find the others."

He left without giving them another glance and walked out of the shooting range, or maybe rushed out. Each step he took became faster and faster. He quickly reached the ground floor, but he didn't look for the others and instead went to the restroom. He washed his mouth, again and again, not caring about some people giving strange looks.

Once he was satisfied, Rei closed the water and stared at the mirror. His eyes were dull, and his skin didn't have the usual healthy glow. He should have stayed at home. He would have caught up some hour of sleep and not feel so upset now.

He got out of the restroom and shoved his way through the people without bumping against them as he went to the exit.

When he finally managed to step out of the arcade, a gentle breeze brushed against his face and through his loose hair. Rei let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and moved a lock away from his face. He must have lost his hair band when he had got through the crowd.

The sun was already dipping behind the horizon, painting the sky with different shades of red and pink.

 _She_ had always liked the sunset. After a long day, she would always sit in front of the house with her brush and easel and try to capture the different shades of the sky. In the end, she was never satisfied with the results.

He wondered why lately thoughts of _them_ popped into his head randomly. Was his subconscious trying to tell him something?

Rei looked away and went to sit a bench as he waited for the others. His wrist ached a little but there was no bruise. The only thing bruised was his pride. . . Rei closed his eyes as he wondered what had come over the Russian. He hadn't seemed himself and when Rei had bitten him it was like a bucket of cold water had woken Boris up.

 _Not that I acted in a civil way either,_ Rei mused. Even though he hadn't been the one who had started the fight Rei couldn't bring himself to be mad anymore. He was actually more upset with his own impulsiveness. He knew better than to answer to provocations. He thought himself past this kind of mistakes.

 _That's because some of his words hit too close to home._

He believed by not confessing his feelings he was protecting his bond with Kai, but maybe. . . he was just sparing himself. Was he acting like a coward? Did this make him weak?

"Rei."

 _Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.**_

Rei snapped his eyes open. Kai was standing in front of him, dark red orbs looking right through him. How did he always find him? Did he put a tracker under his shoe?

"Found the others?" Kai asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rei made a sheepish face and put a hand behind his neck. "I needed. . . fresh air."

Not exactly the true but Kai didn't ask further and took the place beside him.

"It was a tie," Kai said suddenly.

"Huh, what?" Rei breathed, confused.

"Yuriy and I tied," Kai repeated. "Did you win your bet?"

Oh. . . "We both lost," Rei said quietly. This reminded him he owned Boris an apology. "Are Boris and Yuriy still here?"

"They went home," Kai answered. "Boris' hand was bleeding. He said a kitten bit him."

Rei frowned but didn't say anything. Maybe kitten was the right word for how he stupidly acted.

"But he said he deserved it," Kai added, giving Rei a side glance. "You okay?"

Rei nodded. "I'm fine," he said softly, instinctively pulling his arm close to his chest. "I'm sorry, it's just not a good day."

Kai shook his head. "Why are you apologizing?"

"It was immature," Rei answered, feeling guilty.

"Tsk, I'm sure you had your reasons," Kai asserted, looking away. "And you certainly don't have to apologize."

Rei made a small smile. Of course, Kai would say something like this.

Silence fell between them again as they enjoyed the light breeze. Kai was staring into the distance, focusing on nothing in particular.

Rei wondered why he had accepted to come today. Maybe he needed a break from the company? This was the right moment to tell him about his parents… but how without getting Kai defensive? He had to approach the subject in a different way to break the ice. . .

An idea suddenly dawned on Rei. It was something he had always wanted to ask Kai anyway since he became the Ceo of his Hiwatari Enterprises.

"Kai?"

"Hm?"

"You once told us that you didn't want nothing to do with your grandfather's company. . ."

Kai made another sound that told him to continue.

"What made you change your mind?" Rei asked carefully.

Kai crossed his arms in front of his chest and closed his eyes. He stayed quiet for a moment before answering. "The match against Kinomiya in the last tournament. . ."

The tournament had happened a few months after the BEGA had been defeated and it had only lasted a few days. It hadn't been a major event like the other ones since the BBA hadn't had enough money to travel to different places, but it had been enough for the Beybladers. It had been a classic tournament with no teams. It had reminded Rei of the first time he had met the guys.

Of course, he, Max and Kai had lost against Takao. Thinking about his own lost made Rei feel his frustration rise but he kept it down since this discussion wasn't about him. Unlike other times, Kai had met Takao at the first turn.

"After the defeat, the only thing I could do was observe from afar or start training again," Kai said bitterly. "I trained my spirit and my body for that match, I put _everything_ but it hadn't been enough against him, _again_."

Rei could relate with the feeling.

"The next day I was contacted by my grandfather's lawyers. They asked me if I had decided what to do with the company. Some of them wanted me to give everything to the board. Others to wait for my grandfather once he is free again."

Kai's sour expression turned dark. Rei forgot sometimes Kai had… a certain side in him.

"But I refused and instead decided to dismantle the weapon division," Kai said with a smirk, "just to spite my grandfather and the lawyers as well at first."

Spite sure made people do a lot of things.

"And then I started to think about my future," Kai revealed, standing up. "I realized that I didn't want to be remembered just as Hiwatari Soichiro's grandson or Kinomiya Takao's rival. I wanted to do something more with my life. . ." Kai trailed off. "You can figure alone why the change."

Of course, for Kai admitting he loved Beyblade against Brooklyn had been enough for his lifetime. Not because he didn't want to admit he loved the sport but more like he didn't want to say the word "love" again.

"Don't get me wrong," Kai continued, "one of my greatest ambitions is still to defeat Kinomiya but in order to do it I realized I've to fulfill myself first." Kai turned around and stared down at Rei with intense eyes. "In everything."

It always amazed Rei how Kai raised from his ashes. Just like his bit-beast.

"I'm sure you'll fulfill your dreams, Kai," Rei said even though Kai surely didn't need his input.

Kai stayed quiet, staring at him with the same intense gaze. He was like the sun behind him, beautiful but impossible to reach without getting burned.

"Kai, there is something I have to tell you. It's about-" a gust of wind smashed Rei's hair in front of his face, interrupting his talk. Rei cursed under his breath and shook his hair away from his face.

"You lost something earlier," Kai said, handing him his red hair ribbon. How did he find it?

"Oh, thanks!" Rei took the band and tied his unruly hair.

Kai still stood on his feet, lips pressed into a thin line. For a moment he looked disappointed.

"Look, there they are!"

Rei sighed at being interrupted by a very familiar voice. He could see Takao hurry towards them, Hiromi and Max were at his heels.

"Guys, we have been looking for you!" Takao said, panting.

From behind Max spelled to him -I'm sorry- and Rei shrugged helplessly.

"Want to go eat something?" Hiromi asked.

Eating something meant to spend the rest of the night out and Rei couldn't afford it.

"I'm afraid I've to decline."

"But Rei!" Takao complained. "We didn't even pass some time together!"

And who had been the one who had disappeared the moment they got inside the arcade?

"Unlike you, people get to work tomorrow," Rei noted.

"Ugh fine," Takao huffed. "What about you Kai?"

No answer came. They all turned around but there was no sight of Kai.

"He vanished, of course," Hiromi said, shaking her head.

Takao's stomach decided to make himself heard. "What about we go now guys?" he said with a cheeky smile.

Max laughed, "some things never change."

They all laughed but Rei with less involvement, not only because for the wasted opportunity. He said goodbye and they parted ways. The sun was gone, but Rei decided to not take the bus. He put his hand in his pocket and only took a few steps before a motorcycle stopped beside him.

"Kai?" It took Rei a moment to recognize him since he was wearing his blue helmet with red details. He had forgotten about his new toy. "I thought you went home?"

Kai raised his helmet's visor. "Do you want a ride?"

 _What?!_

"I-" Rei stuttered, eyeing the big motorcycle.

He had never really liked any means of transport. He used them because he didn't really have a choice sometimes and had got used to them with time. . . but a motorcycle? For once, he had never been on a motorcycle. Not that Rei didn't like to try new things, far from it, but this was totally a different matter.

"Well?" Kai asked, getting impatient.

"I just don't want to be a burden," Rei answered promptly.

Kai rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have asked if I thought so," he said, making Rei sounding stupid.

Ok, time for plan b.

"What about the helmet?" Rei questioned.

Kai looked a mix of amused and annoyed. "You'll find another one in there," he said, indicating with his thumb the big top box behind him. "Put your bag in its place."

Always a step before everyone and thinking about everything this guy.

Rei held on a sigh. "Ok, thank you," he mumbled.

Unlike Kai's flashy helmet, the spare one had a simple black and white design.

Rei put away his shopping bag and after a moment of contemplation, he hopped in the back seat. He put his feet on the metal bars of the motorcycle, but he didn't know where he was supposed to hold on. It wasn't like he could hold on Kai, right?

The motorcycle roared, startling Rei as the tailpipe emitted a thunderous boom. He instinctively closed his eyes and grabbed the first thing he found, Kai's shirt. Ok, this was pathetic. What was he, a child scared of thunders?

Kai chuckled. Chuckled? No, it must be his imagination or maybe it was a strange sound coming from the engine.

Rei made to let go of the shirt, but Kai stopped him, relocating Rei's hands to his waist. "Hold on tighter," he muttered, barely a whisper, "or you'll fall off."

Rei's breath became faster. He could feel Kai's hard muscles under his thin shirt. He wasn't sure he could hold _tight_ and not getting himself killed by falling.

Kai started the engine up again and they sped off into the traffic. Kai's driving was. . . terrifying. He quickly threaded through the traffic, skipping the other cars like in a slalom. Rei doubted he was respecting all the rules of the road. Certainly not the speed limit. He wondered why nobody had still stopped them.

But even though they were going too fast, Rei didn't feel like he was in danger, it was actually exciting, just like a beybattle. His heart was beating fast and not only for the crazy driving. He was pressed against Kai's firm back with his arm clinging at his sides to not fall off and Kai didn't show any sign of discomfort.

It was just them and the wind.

After five minutes they reached Rei's street and Kai pulled right in front of the door of his building. Rei let go of Kai, even though a bit reluctantly, and slipped off the motorcycle but he put his foot down in the wrong way and stumbled. Thankfully he managed to not fall on the ground with his face.

 _I can't stop to embarrass myself today. . ._ Where were his cat-like reflexes when he needed them?

"Don't tell me _I_ was a little too fast for you," Kai's amused voice came from behind him. It seemed like someone was having fun for once.

Rei shifted on his feet and glared at Kai without any real heat. "You know what you are Hiwatari Kai?"

Kai stared at him with a knowing smirk high in his eyes that didn't contain sarcasm but rather teased, soft and kind. "You tell me, Kon Rei," he said, voice husky.

Rei swallowed. It was getting warmer inside the helmet. He freed his head and pushed his bangs away from his eyes. "Maybe another time," he said, going to take his shopping bag.

"Rei?" Kai called him once he was done.

"Yes?"

"What were you going to say earlier?"

Oh, he had forgotten about that and there was no time to talk about his parents now, but he couldn't tell Kai that without making him suspicious.

Rei closed the helmet's box and moved back to Kai. "It's about the opening night," he decided to say. "I wanted to ask you if you are available to battle against Takao for the inauguration match."

Kai gave him a considering look.

"Just a. . . friendly match," Rei added. _Friendly, good choice of words Rei._ Kai was allergic at the word friends and all his declinations.

And indeed, Kai's frown deepened. "I'm always available to beat Kinomiya," he answered after a moment. He sounded a bit off, not that Rei expected a jump of joy.

"Good," he smiled nervously. "Then see you there."

Kai just nodded and, without saying another word, he started the engine and flew away.

Yeah, goodnight to you too. Sometimes Rei felt like he had figured Kai out but then there were times he didn't have a clue what the other was thinking.

Rei sighed as he took out his keys and entered his building.

It was late, and he didn't feel like cooking, so he decided to just warm up the frozen pizza he had for emergencies like this. Mao would scold him for this unhealthy habit. She was intransigent when it came to fresh foods while Rei was more elastic about it. As he ate his pizza Rei wondered if she and the rest of the Baihozu will be there for the opening night. The BBA had sent an invitation to each Beyblade team that had taken part in the last World tournament.

 _Probably not_ , Rei guessed bitterly, not after what he had said to Lai. Maybe it was better so, he didn't want to cause any scene. The event will be also a litmus test for Rei to prove himself worthy of the position Mr. Daitenji had offered him. Everything had to be perfect and there was no time for personal quarrels. And after that night he had to make his decision. . .

Rei washed the dirty dishes he had used, went to the bathroom and then finally to bed. He just left with just of short since it was too warm in there. A relieved sigh left his lips when he lay down on the bed. He tried to fall asleep but there was a thought that wouldn't leave him alone.

He took his phone from the nightstand and opened the message icon. _Should I? Or should I not?_ Damn, he sounded like a protagonist from a romantic comedy.

Rei quickly typed the message and frowned.

 _Thank you again for the ride._

 _Goodnight._

 _Rei._

Was it too formal? Maybe he should add an emoticon. Max said everything was better with a smiley face, maybe even more than one Takao would add.

 _Goodnight and thank you again for the ride! :) :)_

No, this was ridiculous. Maybe he should leave it alone. It wasn't like he and Kai messaged each other. Rei put the phone away. . . only to take it again and send the message with only one smiling face. After five minutes of dread and regret, his phone made a small noise. Rei gulped and opened the message. The dread disappeared, being substituted by a sweet feeling fluttering in his stomach.

 _no problem._

 _goodnight to you too Rei._

* * *

* it's from the poem The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, it's a very famous tale in China but also in Japan and in other eastern countries. If you don't know it I suggest you to look for it, it's very beautiful.

** Chinese version of speak of the devil, I suggest you again to look for the history behind it.

I'll not put the Russian translation because I'm lazy and I want to leave you oblivious like Rei :D (if there is some native speaker I'm sorry for the bad Russian I used google)

Next chapter it's the opening night. Some people will show up but others will not ;)

I don't know if I can update before Christmas, so I wish you now happy holidays!


	7. Opening Night

"Are you done?"

Hiromi hummed. "Just the last touch," she said, showing him a bottle of hairspray.

Rei crinkled his nose. "Is this really necessary?" he asked.

"Of course, it is!" she told him bossily. "I'll just use a tiny bit, don't worry."

Rei closed his eyes and covered his nose in time before Hiromi intoxicated him with the hair product.

"Ta-da finished!" she claimed.

Rei stood up and stretched a bit. He had been still on the chair for like twenty minutes.

Hiromi had tried different hairstyles -he'd refused to just wear his hair down- and she had settled for a simple high ponytail after she almost messed up his hair while trying to do some kind of braid.

He looked at himself in the mirror and, ok, he had to give Hiromi some points. There was no hair out of place. Even his bangs were perfectly framing his face, but they didn't look like pieces of plastic as he had thought.

"Now go, I've to get myself ready," Hiromi said, pushing him out of his own bathroom. "I'll be ready in ten minutes."

 _Yeah… sure._ _H_ _a_ lf an hour at least before she was ready to go. Hiromi had decided to get ready in his apartment to be sure that the trousers she had fixed for him fit him well. Somehow from there, she had decided that she wanted to do his hair as well.

Rei went to his bedroom to take his dress shoes for the special occasions, aka the uncomfortable ones that you would wear only a few times in your enter lifetime.

As he blindly searched for the shoebox on the top of his wardrobe, something else fell on the floor with a thud. Rei blinked, surprised. _The jewelry pouch._ He had forgotten about it. . .

Rei took the pouch but instead of putting it back in his place, he sat on the edge of the bed and played a bit with the blue fabric, unsure of what to do. It had been ages since he had seen the content even though had had always carried it with him. With a small sense of dried, he opened the pouch and stared at the old gift. A golden armband with five green jade stones. . . Five likes the virtues embodied with the jade.

Benevolence, honesty, wisdom, integrity, and bravery.

 _Good job at holding up on them_ , Rei thought, being disappointed with himself. Lately, it was like he had lost his compass. He just went blindly with the flow and surrounded himself with work. Was he becoming a work alcoholic? Rei chuckled at the thought.

Not only a workaholic but also a serial procrastinator. He had always been good at balancing the opposites. The busy he was, the better he felt. He didn't have time to think or have awkward talks. . . but after tonight the time was over. He had to take his responsibilities and keep his promises.

Rei put on the armband, twirling it around his wrist.

Well, the important thing was going forward, no matter how. He was going to enjoy tonight, and tomorrow would be another day.

"So, what do you think?"

Rei glanced at Hiromi who was lingering at the door. She was wearing a long red dress, soft but tight on the waist.

"I'm sure you'll make a hit with someone tonight," he said with a toothy smile.

"You flatter," she said, and then added quietly, "if only a certain someone would be like you."

"I'm sure this certain someone has eyes too," Rei quipped.

"It's not his eyesight I worry then about," Hiromi said cryptically, coming closer. Her eyes became curious as they fall on his bracelet. "Oh wow," she gaped, sitting beside him. "It's really pretty!"

"Indeed," he said, putting the armband back in the pouch.

"Wait- why are you putting it away?" Hiromi asked him. "Doesn't jade bring fortune?"

"So, I've been told," Rei replied with a vague voice. He couldn't say the same though, it had been years since he didn't wear the armband.

"Then you have to totally wear it, Rei!" Hiromi said, assertive. "I feel tonight will be magical!"

"Magical?" Rei chuckled.

Hiromi nodded. "I read the horoscope!" she exclaimed.

Rei refrained from shaking his head at her and stood up from the bed. "Let's get ready," he prompted. "The car will be here soon."

"And the armband?" she questioned, almost begging. Did she learn the puppy eyes from Max?

Rei fiddled with the pouch and sighed, "fine."

He put the armband around his left wrist and showed it to Hiromi.

"Happy?"

"Ecstatic."

Twenty minutes later their driver arrived and, fortunately, Hiromi was finally ready. Takao and the others were already inside the car, correction, not just a car, but a limousine.

"President Daitenji made us a surprise," Max told him as Rei and Hiromi took place inside.

"Oh, granny looks like a lady tonight," Daichi said cheekily getting a smack behind the head from the said lady.

Rei glanced at Takao who was uncharacteristically quiet. He was staring at Hiromi with big eyes.

"Oh, look at you all!" Takao's grandfather shouted, ruffling his nephew's hair. "It's like yesterday when you all were little shrimps who destroyed my garden!"

"Grandpa, please," Takao groaned as he pushed him away.

"Why is he even here?" the Professor asked Rei quietly.

"President Daitenji invited him too," Rei whispered back. After all, the old man had been with them since the beginning.

"Are you telling me you don't want me here, young men?" Ryonosuke said threatening. "I'm old but my hearing is sharp as my swords!"

Rei gulped. "But of course, we are happy to have you here," he said smoothly.

Daichi and Takao snorted and got hit by a kendo sword. Rei didn't want to know where Takao's grandfather hid it.

The limo drive continued with back and fords jabs between the group and before they knew it, they were at the new stadium. The limo left right in front of the guests' entrance.

"Wow, there are a lot of people!" Takao said, glancing outside.

Everyone slowly got out of the car, but Max lingered for a moment at the door and winked Rei.

"You've to get him tonight, tiger," he said, pointing a finger at him.

Rei rolled his eyes at Max and hoped he didn't have any of his " _genial_ " ideas like the failed plan of leaving him alone with Kai at the arcade.

Once he stepped out of the car, Rei was careful to not get hit by the cameras' flashes of the photographers. There was also a crowd of fans behind the railing who asked for pictures and autographs.

Rei smiled at the crowd and signed autographs like the others, exchanging some words with the fans, like - _no, I'm not engaged with Mao-_ and _-I'm sorry –_ insert awkward chuckle- _but I've to refuse the proposal_. Some people were truly wild.

Other cars arrived and soon the crowd's attention calmed down towards them.

"Mama! Daddy!" Max called when he saw his parents get out a car with the American team. Even though Judy had got back with Mr. Mizuhara she had still to go to the United States every few months.

Rei smiled fondly when Max hugged her mother. It looked a bit funny now that Max was taller, and Judy looked surprised too at his son new height.

"If you want cuddles you just have to ask, Rei," Takao said playfully, coming beside him.

"Don't tell me you are offering," Rei joked back.

Takao made a funny face. "Never would dream about it," he laughed, "I don't want to lose my head."

"What do you mean?" Rei asked, a little lost.

"Can't say," Takao grinned, rubbing the tip of his nose. This was weird, Takao never spoke in riddles.

"Look! It's Ming Ming!" the Professor shouted.

The idol had just stepped out of the car and now all the crowd was cheering at her.

"What?!" Hiromi hissed and glared at Rei. "Why is she here?!"

Takao muttered a "good luck, my friend" and snuck away. Traitor. What about all the friendship discourses? This was some kind of payback.

"Well. . ." Rei gulped. "She is a singer."

Ming Ming was the perfect person to entertain the audience before the bigger shot but Rei wasn't going to tell this to Hiromi.

"I'm aware of it!" Hiromi said, her feature slowly turning in those of a fire-breathing dragon. "But they're a lot of singers out there! Is this some kind of compatriot solidarity?!"

"You are being overdramatic, Hiromi," the Professor chimed in. "Ming Ming is not only the best singer there is, but she is- she is just perfect!"

Wrong choices of words but at least it wasn't Rei who Hiromi was after now.

After greeting the PPB and some other team, they went inside the stadium and took the lift that bought them to the press room that had been arranged differently for tonight.

The chairs had been all removed and there were two long tables that followed each side of the walls. Food of every kind could be found.

A lot of people were already there. Some face were familiar while others not. Rei looked around and his heart started to beat faster when he spotted Kai. He was together with the full Russian team but he wasn't actually engaging in their conversation. His eyes were closed to the world around him but he still stood out with his white blazer that reached his elbows, matching white trousers and deep burgundy shirt.

How did just the mere sight of the gorgeous young man always made his nerves go crazy? It was like everything appeared in slow motion now. Rei watched as Takao and Max approached Kai with smiles on their faces.

Opening his eyes, Kai said something to them, probably one of his snarky comments, but he was obviously happy to see his younger teammates. Rei could see it in the way Kai's eyes lit up as Takao stuck out his tongue at him and Max laugh lightly.

Why did he suddenly feel so distant from them? He just needed only to take a few steps to reach them over there, but it was like he was stuck behind a wall of glass.

Rei observed his friends' happy faces; how familiar and comfortable they were with each other after all these years.

They had changed, not only physically, but they remained still the same at the core. They had all matured while Rei was. . . the same insecure fool. And now a jealous one too. Seeing Kai happy there without him made his stomach turn upside down. It was scary, and it made Rei hate himself for wanting Kai's attention all for himself.

 _I'm the worst._

People walked past him, moved forward. Was he the one being slow? Or was the world around him going too fast? Everything seemed all blurred.

Suddenly Kai's gaze shifted to where Rei was. His deep red eyes turn wide for a moment. _Desire_? No, it must be like a mirror, he was just projecting of his own feeling. _But_ what if Kai wanted him too, what if he allowed Rei touch him freely- w _hat if he would love me back?_

Lingering in this kind of thoughts was dangerous. He should focus on what he had and not what could be. He needed to- he just needed a moment. But Kai still kept gazing at him and he raised his brow at him as if to ask Rei what the hell was he waiting for.

He couldn't keep up with this. Like a coward, Rei turned around and went to the buffet. Food was always the best consolation.

Well, he wanted to, but some people of the past tournaments said hello to him and Rei greeted them back, engaging in small conversation.

Somehow, he finally managed to reach the buffet where Daichi and Takao were already making a raid.

He needed something sweet and opted for a beignet stuffed with a ridiculous amount of cream.

"Well, I almost didn't recognize you, Rei."

Rei turned around, a bit annoyed at the interruption but made a friendly smile when he saw who the hecklers were.

"Moses! And Mystel, you are here too!" Rei greeted them.

They looked the same as always. Moses tall like a mountain and Mystel still on the short side.

"It's good to see you, my friend," Moses said, patting his shoulder with his big hand. "I hope you still remember my sister Monica."

Rei had to plant his feet to not fall on the floor and smiled back at the girl who he had met only once after she had recovered from her surgery.

"I'm surprised you come," Rei said to Mystel. Well, the BBA had sent an invitation to all the ex BEGA team but Mystel didn't have a fixed residence, so it had been impossible to contact him.

Rei admired Mystel's way of life. Free like the wind with no roots who hold him back. But he wasn't like Mystel. Home was something he had missed when he had left the village and started to travel and found again when he met Takao and the others. . .

"I was in the area," Mystel asserted. "So I thought, why not? It's been a while since we saw each other. But where are the rest of the White Tigers? I didn't see them around here."

It was a simple question, but it still hurt. Especially since almost everyone was here but his team. Despite everything, Mao and Lai were like siblings to him.

"They couldn't come," Rei answered vaguely.

Mystel nodded and didn't prompt further.

They continued to chat between themselves and enjoy the food. Sometimes Rei felt a gaze behind his neck but every time he turned around, he couldn't catch whoever it was. Maybe he was just becoming paranoid.

"Rei, I think President Daitenji is looking for you," Monica informed him.

"Hm?"

Rei followed with his gaze the direction Monica pointed to him and indeed he wasn't wrong. President Daitenji was waving at him and he was in the company of- _fuck all the ancestors!_

Rei coughed and almost choked on his tart if it weren't for Moses who patted his back a bit too hard. He was going to have bruises by tomorrow.

"There, Rei, you alright?" Moses asked.

"I think you're contributing to his death, Moses," Mystel said with a chuckle.

"I- I'm fine," Rei breathed, accepting the glass of juice Monica offered him.

"You look like you saw a ghost," she said, concerned.

 _No, worse,_ Rei thought as he gave another quick glance at Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari who were now engaged in a conversation with President Daitenji. What the hell were they doing here?!

"Sorry guys but I've to go."

"It's fine, Rei," Mystel said, smiling. "See you again soon."

Rei looked around worried but there was no sight of Kai. He had to do something. If Kai saw his parents Rei wasn't sure what could happen.

"Where is Kai?" he asked the Russian team as he approached them.

"He said he had to make a call," Sergei answered.

"Tst, it was an excuse," Boris laughed, "the female twin flirted with him and he ran away."

Rei gaped. "Flirted? You mean Julia?"

"What, jealous?" Boris asked back with a smirk.

Rei bit the inside of his cheek. He knew Boris was trying to provoke him and he was not going to play into his hands again.

"Why are you looking for him?" Yuriy intervened.

"It's private," Rei said, glancing at Sergei and Ivan.

Yuriy sighed. "Leave us for a minute, guys."

The two Russian looked annoyed but didn't complain as they left them alone.

"His parents are here," Rei told them in a low voice.

Yuriy's gaze became sharper at his words.

"Shit," Boris muttered. "You better evacuate this place then."

"Aren't you the one responsible for the guest list?" Yuriy inquired. "How could you let this happen?"

"I've nothing to do with this, I didn't know they would be here," Rei responded, frustrated. "But we've to do something, he can't see them!"

Yuriy and Boris shared a look and nodded.

"It's almost time for the match," Yuriy asserted, "we'll look for Kai and tell him it's time to go to the arena while you will deal with his parents."

Rei felt relieved. "That's perfect, thank you."

"We're not doing it for you," Yuriy said harshly.

Still, Rei was grateful as he crossed the room to reach President Daitenji and the Hiwatari couple. Unlike the first time he saw him, Susumu was wearing an elegant black suit and blue bow tie that matched Misaki's shimmering blue dress.

They had Kai's natural charisma -well maybe it was more like the other way around- and Rei hoped nobody who was familiar with Kai would notice the similarities and start to ask questions.

"There you are, Rei!" President Daitenji smiled. "I wanted you to meet-"

"Mr. and Mrs. Hiwatari," Rei couldn't help but say.

Susumu laughed. "Now Rei, Mr. Hiwatari makes me feel old, I told you to just call me Susumu."

"You look great tonight, Rei," Misaki beamed, winking.

"Uhm. . . thanks," Rei answered, embarrassed. Pity that the compliment came from the wrong Hiwatari.

"Ohh, I see you already know each other," President Daitenji said, clearly trying to sound too much surprised.

Rei gave him a long look. What the hell was going on here? He knew Daitenji meant well but sometimes he got overboard like when he decided to trick them at London. Rei realized he must know about the Hiwataris' situation since he was clearly an old friend of them.

"Rei, remember the anonymous donations who got at the beginning?" President Daitenji asked.

"Let me guess," Rei said, staring back at the couple. "It was you."

Susumu nodded enthusiastically while Misaki had at least the decency to look a bit modest.

"President Daitenji helped us a lot after you-know-what," Susumu informed him. "It was the least we could do."

Rei frowned but didn't say anything. This wasn't the time to have this type of talk.

"Oh well, I've to prepare my speech," President Daitenji said with a laugh. "See you in the arena."

He walked away, leaving Rei alone with the couple.

"I don't want to sound rude," Rei started, "but. . . what are you doing here?"

"Daitenji invited us personally," Misaki told him, "we couldn't refuse."

"Kai wouldn't take it well if he saw you," Rei said, worried.

"I assume you didn't have your little talk," Susumu said with no judgment. "My son can be quite difficult, right?"

 _You have no idea._

"It's been a few busy weeks," Rei replied apologetically.

"Oh, don't worry," Misaki smiled, "it's not like we gave you a deadline."

"Even though, she will not wait to make herself show," Susumu muttered to himself and then winked at his wife.

Misaki shook her head at him but still smiled at whatever inside joke she and her husband were sharing.

"The truth is we can't wait to see Kai on the dish," Susumu revealed with a longing look. "We are tired to see our son battle in a cold screen."

Rei's lips turn up before the sound of glass hitting the ground reached his ears. He turned around and froze.

Kai was there, his eyes were hidden behind his fridge. A broken glass lied on his feet. Slowly he raised his head, his hair shifted a bit and the rage in his eyes made Rei's blood run cold.

Kai didn't say anything, just turned around and disappeared.

"Oh no," Misaki whispered, echoing Rei's thoughts.

Rei ran. He pushed himself through the crowd and went after Kai without a second thought.

It was difficult to catch up with him since everyone was leaving the room to go to the arena and some people shouted after Rei. He could hear Takao and the others asking him what was wrong, but Rei didn't halt to answer.

Outside it was crowded just like in the conference room. The lift was full and there was no space for him. He had to wait. At this point, Kai had surely reached the ground floor.

Rei leaned against the balcony overlooking the hall and he spotted Kai already going to the exit.

 _Damn it!_

"Rei!" Takao called him, followed by the other. "What's going on?"

It wasn't too high, he should make it. He had to reach Kai and stop him. Sure, someone could replace him, but Rei couldn't let him go in this way.

"Sorry guys," he said, taking a step back. "There is no time to explain."

"What- wait!" Max shouted, raising his arm to stop Rei but it was too late.

Rei jumped over the railing and landed on the floor on his feet. Something went wrong. He bit his lip as a familiar pain ran through his right ankle and he fell on his knee.

 _Not again, why did the damn ankle give always problems?_

From the railing, his friends told him to not move (Hiromi called him an idiot for the stupid stunt), but, ignoring the pain, Rei stood up and started to run again.

Adrenaline and determination giving him the strength he needed. There were only a few people outside, mostly staff members, since the entrance for the audience was on the other side of the stadium and he found Kai quickly. He was at the edge of the road, waiting probably for his car.

"Kai, please wait!"

Kai took a brief, minuscule intake of breath and looked at him. "What do you want, Rei?" he hissed, voice dark.

There was still a wild flicker in Kai's eyes that gave Rei goosebumps. He had never seen Kai look at him so furious, not even in his Black Dranzer phase or during their battle in the last the World Tournament.

"Look, Kai, I'm sorry-"

"Spare your worthless words if you came here to take me back in there," Kai said, looking away.

"You just can't go away," Rei pleaded him. "It's not like you to run away like this!"

" _Run away_?" Kai snorted. "I'm making you a favor, If I get back in there, I swear I will burn down this place with everyone inside."

"So, you will always flee from every room your parents will be in?" Rei countered. "I thought you were stronger than this! People are waiting for you!"

"And tell me, are _my supposed parents_ among this people?" Kai asked sarcastically, taking a step forward. "You seemed quite at ease with _them_ \- Actually, with a lot of people tonight. At what kind of game are you playing, Rei?!"

"I-" Rei opened and closed his mouth several times before forming words. "What's that supposed to mean?" He couldn't understand, weren't they talking about his parents two seconds ago?!

"Don't play dumb!" Kai spat. "I'm tired of it." He sounded exhausted and somehow Rei just did this to him.

"Sir?" an employer of the stadium interrupted awkwardly, showing Kai a pair of keys. "Your car is here."

They hadn't even noticed the car arriving in front of them. It was a two-seat convertible. So, Kai did come on his own earlier. . . and he was leaving alone now too.

Kai took his keys from the man and turned away. Rei wanted him to say something, anything, but not leave him like this. He raised his hand but then closed it against his chest as he watched Kai go to his car. Worthless words will not make him turn back.

"Look it's Hiwatari Kai and Kon Rei!"

"Guys, please, look here!"

A few photographers suddenly approached them and before Rei could avoid it a flash of lights hit him right in the eyes. For a moment, he was blind.

Everything was blurry and confused. The reporters took picture after picture, making Rei feel even more dizzy. He had always hated those damn paparazzi. What did they even want from them? They were Beybladers, not celebrities.

One of them got even closer with his damn camera but before Rei could move a finger Kai moved past him and hit the guy in the face with a punch.

The flashes of the cameras stopped for a second before the photographers started to get pictures again with more vigor. The commotion attired more eyes on them, like bees to honey.

"Kai!" Rei gasped, shocked. This could get Kai trouble, what the hell was he thinking?! He could not afford it in the position he was.

"You- you bastard!" the guy yelled, touching his bleeding nose. "I'll sue you!"

Ignoring the photographer's threating words, Kai went to his car and opened the passenger's door. "Get in!" he shouted to Rei, giving him an ordering look.

Rei blinked, eyes still teary for the flashlights as he forced himself to stay on his feet. The car looked like a safe boat and Rei got inside as his ankle throbbed with more pain.

"Kai-"

"Not now!"

Kai closed the door to his face and got in the driver sit. His expression was neutral as he turned the key and started the car. Like a dormant volcano now, ready to blow at any second.

The car's wheels shrilled against the asphalt and they drove off.

* * *

I'm a bit too late but Happy New Year! I hope you had a great holiday! I caught the usual winter cold so I passed my free days in my bed instead of writing (my brain doesn't collaborate when I'm sick) that's why this long delay.

Thank you all for reviewing and following/favorite this fic, it means a lot to me.

So surprise, Kai and Rei soft of ditched, I hope you liked the twist and the anime references. Episode 1 of g-rev is my favorite for just Rei choking on his food. (thank you Daichi) ok, enough rambling.

I don't want to jinx myself but the next chapter should come sooner, I don't want to make you wait too long after this kind of cliffhanger.

Again, happy new year and I wish you all the best!


	8. Fireworks

The car ran fast down the road. Maybe a bit too fast.

Kai's grip was hard around the wheel. He hadn't said a single word since he had started to drive.

Rei didn't dare to say anything either. He could feel Kai's anger towards him and crawl under his skin.

A magical night, indeed.

Rei leaned his head against the window and shut his eyes.

He could only blame himself for the messed-up situation. His own carelessness had lent him to this. If he wouldn't have been so stupid now Kai wouldn't be upset with him. He had been such an ass earlier with his patronizing words. He had added insult to injury. Rei wouldn't blame Kai if he despised him now.

Suddenly the car stopped. Rei heard Kai step out without saying a word to him.

Rei looked out of the window and frowned. It was his favorite place, the panoramic view of the city. From up there, away from the city's lights, the night sky was much clearer. Why did Kai bring them up here? He had thought he was going to drop him to his house.

Rei got out of the car and took only a few steps before his ankle started to hurt again. Great. He sighed and sagged on a bench instead of joining Kai on the railing.

Something smelling awful reached Rei's nose. The smell of cigarettes.

Since when does he smoke? Rei wondered to himself, but he didn't ask, he knew better then do that.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," he started, "I shouldn't have told you those things, it was out of line."

"I only asked you one thing," Kai started, voice raising. "To stay away from _them_. But of course, you have to always go your own way!"

"I didn't-"

"You didn't what?!" Kai interrupted him. "You didn't want to be discovered? To betray me?!"

"I didn't want to keep things away from you!" Rei replied. "I- just give me the chance to explain."

Kai turned around, crushing his cigarette under his foot. "Then start to talk! I want you to tell me _everything_ from the beginning. And don't omit anything."

"Fine," Rei said, sighing.

Like Kai had asked he told him how he was "contacted" by his parents, their story and what they had asked him. The only thing he had to omit was the part where Susumu and Misaki believed he was capable to make Kai change his mind because Rei himself didn't believe he can do it. The only one who could get through that thick skull of his was someone else. Rei could only be just Susumu and Misaki messenger.

Kai listened silently, his facial expression not changing a bit apart for a slight frown. The clenched hand against the railing was the only thing that really gave away his composure.

"That's it," Rei finished. "I don't know what they want to tell you, but it seems rather important."

"He is still an idiot," Kai muttered to himself.

Rei furrowed his eyebrows at Kai's remark towards Susumu but stayed quiet. The way he had said it sounded almost like fondness.

"And do you believe them?" Kai asked him.

The question threw him off a bit. "I do," Rei answered sincerely.

"Why?" Kai insisted. "What makes you think they are not lying?"

Rei stalled a moment before he answered. "My instinct."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Your. . . instinct," he said slowly and then burst into laughter.

Rei stared at him bewildered. It wasn't a fake mocking laugh. Kai was genuinely laughing. Rei didn't know if to feel offended, but he couldn't help but smile a little at Kai's softened expression.

Kai cleared then his throat and moved away from the railing. "You are still naive," he said, using his favorite insult.

Rei may have pouted a little. Well, at least Kai didn't look like he was angry at him anymore. Rei felt like a burden had been lifted off his shoulder.

"Are you going to see them?" he couldn't help but ask.

"No," Kai answered predictably.

"Aren't you at least a bit curious?" Rei tried again.

"I don't care if they were really forced to leave me," Kai said, not looking him in the eyes. "They are dead to me."

Rei flinched at the cold words. "You shouldn't say something like that," he said quietly. "Especially if you don't really mean it."

Kai looked back at him and gave him the long lets-discover-what-is-going-through-the-head-of-those-poor-mortals look.

Rei eventually stared down at his uncomfortable shoes.

"Fine," Kai huffed. "I will think about it."

Rei looked up in surprise. If Kai said so then he did really mean it.

"How did you get hurt?" Kai asked suddenly.

"What?" Rei said, confused.

"Your ankle," Kai quipped. "You were fine back at the party."

"Oh." Rei smiled awkwardly. "I jumped from the balcony to catch up with you," he confessed reluctantly. "'miscalculated a bit the height." Or maybe the force of his ankle. Since he had that incident with Takao it always gave him some problem. Maybe it was the time to see a doctor.

Kai sighed and moved past him.

"Where are you going now?" Rei asked, following him with his gaze.

"Don't move, I'll be back soon," Kai said over his shoulder.

"Where do you think I could go," Rei muttered to himself as he watched Kai disappear.

He stretched his legs on the bench and stared up at the sky. It was one of the last waning moon's nights of this month. It was like the moon was smiling at him from up there, sending him a last goodbye before the beginning of the new cycle. The new season was coming.

Rei hugged his good leg against his chest and put the front-head on his knee as he thought about the night.

What will President Daitenji think? _Irresponsible_ that was like it. He had left without any warning in the middle of everything. He didn't even have his phone with him to contact anyone. He had left it with Hiromi since she had offered him to keep it for him in her handbag. What a mess. He had to get back. He just wished for one thing to go well tonight before. . .

Well, maybe it was a sigh. A push to take the right decision. The only decision.

Finally, Kai came back with a shop bag in his hand.

"You have to bring me back to the stadium," Rei urged.

"I don't," Kai shut him down, grabbing Rei's leg and making himself a place on the bench. "I'm not your chauffeur," he continued, putting his leg back on his lap.

"What are you doing?" Rei asked, bewildered. He felt his cheeks warm up as Kai raised the hem of his pants. He put an ice pack on his ankle and Rei groaned at the sudden cool sensation.

"Here," Kai said, passing him a can of iced green tea.

Rei blinked owlishly at him. He knew Kai cared for them all regardless of his rough exterior -it was one of the things he loved the most of him- but it still surprised him when he did things like that.

"There is a convenience store nearby," Kai said like this explained everything.

"Thanks," Rei said, still confused. "But I really have to go back."

"Everything is fine," Kai told him, opening his own can with one hand. "Yuriy told me Daichi is going to take my place."

"But-"

"Stop worrying," Kai cut him off. "You passed the last weeks organizing everything and nothing will go wrong even though you aren't there."

"Us missing is already something wrong Kai and you punching a paparazzi isn't what I would call good either."

"Those paparazzi will not have a job by tomorrow." Kai took a sip of his beverage and smirked. "You already taking your role seriously."

"It's not that," Rei whispered, looking away. "I just wanted this night to be perfect before I... go back to the village."

"So, you decided."

Rei just nodded, staring at his can. "I can't turn my back to my people." It had never been his wish, despite everything.

"You want to go _back_ , even though you strike in your life to always go forward."

Something in Kai's voice put Rei on the defensive.

"Becoming the leader of my clan is a privilege," Rei said, putting down the can still unopened.

"Tsk," Kai snorted. "You don't really care about becoming the leader of that stupid village."

"I will not allow you to disrespect my people, Kai," Rei said, voice tight in anger.

"You are disrespecting them by accepting a position you don't want," Kai countered.

"You don't know what I want!" Rei argued.

"I know you enough to see that you are making your decision for stupid reasons!"

Rei made to move his leg away, but Kai stopped him.

"The Rei I know would never back down in this way."

"It doesn't matter if I want to stay ok?!" Rei conceded bitterly. "I made my choice!"

"Fine." Kai let go of his leg and got on his feet. "Maybe it's better so," he sneered, throwing the can away. "Daitenji needs someone better than a pushover who makes half-assed decisions on fear."

The words were like a slap on his face. Rei had never judged Kai's decisions, even the more questionable ones, and seeing Kai do this to him hurt.

"Why do you care so much?!" he shouted, standing up as well, not caring about his injury. "You have never cared what people do unless it does concern you!" His decisions will not affect any tournament, his _defeat_ will not influence the team's success anymore. "So why are you being such an ass?!"

He was in front of Kai now, shoulder tense and hands clenched tightly.

"Because-" Kai shook his head, staring away. "Forget it."

"No, I want to know now!" Rei insisted pleading.

But of course, Kai ignored him. The disappointment raised in Rei but what was he expecting? He didn't even know for what answer was he hoping at this point.

Rei turned away from Kai, he had the sudden need to get far away from him. He had to find a cab, but he didn't have any money. How was he going to get home? He was tired, his ankle hurt, and he had nothing on him except for an armband that brought him anything but luck. What a perfect summary of his life.

"Because I can't just let you wither away, Rei."

Rei's eyes widened at the sudden words.

"I don't want you to go."

Rei turned around quickly and staggered, but Kai was right there and grabbed him by the arms before he could fall. Rei found his face against the other's chest. He could hear Kai's heartbeat. It was getting faster, just like his. Rei looked up, eyes locking with Kai's.

Something inside Rei snapped. He pushed his good leg on his tiptoes and pressed his lips against Kai's.

Kai didn't move a single muscle.

Realizing it, Rei felt his stomach drop and he shrank away.

He shifted his eyes to the ground – not wanting to see Kai's expression - and tried to move away, but Kai was still holding his arms and didn't let him go.

"I'm sorry," Rei blurted out, his voice shaking, "I don't know what took over me-"

Kai put a hand under Rei's chin and forced him to meet his gaze. Red eyes burned into Rei with violent intensity, but there was no rage or disgust. And then. . . It happened so fast that it took Rei a moment to understood what was happening. He felt his eyes get teary as his repressed emotions exploded from pure happiness.

Kai. . . Kai was kissing him! His lips were warm and persistent as they pushed harder to deepen the kiss.

Rei's mind was too lightheaded and could only form one coherent thought. Kai wanted him too. His instinct - the same instinct he had ignored when it came to his feeling for Kai - guided Rei now. He let his eyes flutter shut as he opened his mouth with a little moan. Kai tasted bittersweet. Of cigarettes and oranges.

Rei's heart beat even faster, it was like it wanted to escape from his chest. It was too much! His legs trembled and he was sure that the only thing that kept him on his feet was Kai's grip on him.

Somehow, Rei found himself pressed against the railing. They kissed, again and again, touching each other. Rei didn't know for how long. Maybe they would have never stopped if it weren't for the sudden firework that made them both jump in surprise.

Rei chuckled at their reaction. The fireworks came from the stadium and it meant that the match had ended.

"'want to see the firework?" Kai whispered teasingly, his hand wandering on Rei's back.

Rei hid his face against Kai's neck and nodded, not trusting his voice. His clothes were starting to feel even tighter and Kai's touch didn't help. Rei wasn't sure he was able to hold it and not embarrass himself.

Free from the mischievous hold, Rei turned around and looked up at the sky. The fireworks were beautiful, he had always liked them, but his attention didn't last long. He glanced at Kai and wondered for a moment if this was all a dream, but the sound and the colors of the firework was too real to be something made up by his subconscious.

Kai looked back at him, his face was still flushed, and his eyes shined in a way Rei had never seen before. Was he feeling the same happiness? Rei wanted him to feel his same sensations. He took Kai's hand in own and smiled when Kai intertwined their fingers together.

The firework ended, living total silence in its wake. It was like the spell had been broken and the "what now?" lingered unsaid in the air. They had to talk.

"The match ended," Rei said, breaking the ice. "We should get back."

"You are still on that?" Kai asked, his free hand started to fiddle with one of Rei's long strands.

"I left my phone and keys to Hiromi," Rei explained. "I don't want to climb my window and scare my neighbors."

Last time he did it the old lady who lived over him had thrown him a bucket of water. And now that he thought about it, he couldn't climb his window with his injured ankle.

"Then come with me," Kai said quietly.

Rei swallowed. "What?"

"Come with me," Kai repeated. "To my place."

* * *

Very short chapter sorry but I hope you still enjoyed it. I can't believe I finally reached this point, we're halfway through the story but other things have still to happen ;)


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